The true nature of people is revealed not in ordinary everyday moments but in dramatic situations. From this premise, Tianyi Chen delivers a corrosive short film in which the connections within a family come to the surface to illustrate almost cartoonishly the greed that blinds. ‘Funeral‘ is rich in cynicism, fiercely challenging the misogynistic patterns that underpin patriarchal attitudes, which boldly flaunt their principles even in moments of crisis. Everything turns into a kind of tragicomedy through which the director filters not only the toxicity between two brothers and their sister, but also the absurdity of traditions that only serve to reinforce the gender divide. Feminism is an intrinsic stake of this construct, but not necessarily a purpose per se. Thus, beyond the illustration of relational kinetics, the short film exposes with the same biting tenderness the feeling of abandonment and rediscovery, when the main character is willing to free herself completely from the shackles of a retrograde family structure.
Two brothers and their sister must organize their father’s funeral. But, in addition to the tragic context they witness, the young woman must once again face the patronizing attitude of men who assume all the privileges but none of the responsibility.
The film’s imagery reflects the monochrome palette that encapsulates the entire action, paralleling the thematic backdrop of the narrative’s war between the sexes. In such a conjuncture everything is white vs. black, privilege vs. submission, strength vs. weakness; in short: masculine vs. feminine. With fine intuition, Tianyi Chen ruthlessly exposes some of the purest manifestations of human pettiness, while using the young woman’s sensitivity as a screen on which to project the state of affairs of a society unable to abandon aberrant stereotypes. A few bland colours eventually break this monotony; the promise of total liberation is possible, but any radical change starts with one step. That’s why ‘Funeral’ is not only an exquisitely executed short film, but also a necessary cold shower that, through its incisive and uncomfortable tonality, instigates an urgent reconsideration of destructive prejudices.
