Student Short Film
Solitaire
Directed by 
Brian Gill
AFIN 2023 Honorable Mention
- 2023
- 13m
-
New Zealand - English
Stills
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Credits
Written by
Produced by
Synopsis
A desperately lonely security guard's playing cards come to life during a game of solitaire.
Director's Statement
The idea for this film first came to me during the long Auckland lockdown of 2021. It was the loneliest I had ever felt in my life, a feeling paradoxically shared by many people. I immigrated to New Zealand from the Philippines six years ago, and even now I sometimes struggle to form connections and bridge the cultural divide. They say the purpose of storytelling is to help people better understand themselves. I want to tell a story about loneliness that might pass on some feeling of strength to people battling their own demons of alienation and isolation and perhaps provide some hope for change.
What makes this one special
- A first-time filmmaker
- A student film
Director's Biography
Brian Gill Director
The writer/director/editor of this project is Brian Gill, a Filipino-Kiwi filmmaker and comedian raised 18 years in the Philippines. At age 23, he wrote, directed and edited the short film, 'Solitaire' for his Masters in Directing for Screen Production at the University of Auckland and achieved a final mark of “A”. His lecturers say his greatest strengths are his eclectic interests and his original sense of humour.
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Placings
Recognised in this category at AFIN 2023, as announced that season.
- Best Student Film Honorable Mention