Hangman is the rare example of a perfect film. I will admit, there are not many examples of that, and this festival is all about being a champion of the underdog—the student short, the film shot on an Iphone, etc., that represents the perfect realistic and empathetic film about mental health. Hangman, though, is perfect in pretty much every aspect–in its tonal balance between comedy and tragedy, in its acting, in the way it’s shot and edited, in its music and pacing. It’s unfair, in some ways. Until you hear Sarah Rodenbaugh explain in this interview that she spent so much money, and labored so hard, and recruited all the best people she could, because telling this story of grief—percolating for years and inspired by her own suicide loss —was so important to her that she wanted to ensure every puzzle piece was in place.
Hangman required extraordinary precision, delicacy, and timing to pull off its concept and sensitive material. As we joke, the “feet” that become its central image had to be just right—not too cartoony, but not too macabre. Sarah Rodenbaugh’s own acting had to convey quiet pain written all over her face without being too overwrought. Hangman is propelled forward by its music and structured around the stages of grief, while showing that those stages are fluid.
As I said in our interview, Mental Filmness shows all different films from all different budget levels, but Hangman is kind of exciting because it demonstrates what happens when high technical skill meets high concept *and* a realistic and empathetic–and at times emotionally gut-wrenching–story about mental health. I feel like Hangman is one of the tightest cuts of a film I’ve ever seen. Every single scene and line is intentional and essential and in its right place. It’s always interesting to see how inventive filmmakers can be with low budgets, but it’s just as interesting to see filmmakers with a bigger budget at the top of their game spending every last penny to hit all the right notes.
Please watch Hangman in the shorts block, and watch this interview. Sarah Rodenbaugh is a formidable triple-threat talent as writer-actress-producer of this tremendous “feat” (pun intended).
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/874643111
https://mentalfilmness2023.eventive.org/interviews
Mental Filmness 