Procter (film)
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''Procter'' is a 2002 British-Norwegian short film directed by
Joachim Trier Joachim Trier () (born 1 March 1974) is a Danish-born Norwegian film director, best known for '' Oslo, August 31st'' (2011), ''Louder Than Bombs'' (2015), ''Thelma'' (2017), and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021). For the latter film, he ...
, starring John Joyce and Michael Hucks. It tells the story of a man who finds a video tape depicting a mysterious suicide and tries to figure out what happened.


Plot

Charles Procter shaves and goes to work. He spills coffee in his lap and goes home to change clothes. In the garage, he finds a car on fire with a dead man inside. Nearby is a video camera on a tripod, which Procter takes and brings home. The video depicts a man who goes through his morning routine, briefly meets a girl with a dog, pours petrol on the car and himself, steps into the car and lights himself on fire. Procter rewatches the video several times. The police turns up and asks about the incident. The dead man had lived a few floors above him. His name was Paul Ferguson. Procter does not mention the video to the police. Procter goes to the park where the girl from the video had been seen. He eventually sees the girl walk by and figures out where she lives. He rings on the door and claims to be from the police. The girl did not know the man. She has the dog, which the man had asked her to look after, without returning. Procter keeps watching the video. He leaves his home. The video is frozen toward the end where Procter is seen looking into the camera.


Cast

* John Joyce as Charles Procter * Michael Hucks as Paul Ferguson * Zoe Thorne as girl * Ray Eves as policeman 1 * Derek Hutchinson as policeman 2


Production

The film was made just after
Joachim Trier Joachim Trier () (born 1 March 1974) is a Danish-born Norwegian film director, best known for '' Oslo, August 31st'' (2011), ''Louder Than Bombs'' (2015), ''Thelma'' (2017), and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021). For the latter film, he ...
had graduated from the
National Film and Television School The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is a film, television and games school established in 1971 and based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. It is featured in the 2021 ranking by ''The Hollywood Repor ...
. A group of students from the year below him had been granted funding for their graduation film and asked Trier to direct it. Trier agreed on the condition that he was allowed to write the script from scratch together with
Eskil Vogt Eskil Vogt (born 31 October 1974) is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter. His films include '' Reprise'' (2006), '' Oslo, August 31st'' (2011), '' Louder Than Bombs'' (2015), and ''Thelma'' (2017) all of which were directed by Joachim Trie ...
. The film was made quickly, which Trier appreciated, since it forced him to trust his instincts. The most demanding scene was the car fire. According to Trier, ''Procter'' was the film where he established his personal style. He had previously experimented with different aesthetics, but the simple story and production led him to a style with which he was more comfortable. It was also his first collaboration with the cinematographer Jakob Ihre, with whom he went on to make several more films.


Reception


Critical response

Ellen Margrethe Sand of ''
Verdens Gang ''Verdens Gang'' ("The course of the world"), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, having declined from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. ''VG'' is n ...
'' described the film as "a densified and unsettling drama". Sand continued: "Trier utilises the scarcely allotted time and his film medium to the last drop. Without an image, even less a word - too much".


Accolades

The film won the prize for Best British Short and the UIP Prize at the
Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all ti ...
; the latter meant that it was nominated for the
European Film Award for Best Short Film European Film Award for Best Short Film has been awarded annually since 1998 by the European Film Academy. Winners and nominees 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Most wins for Best Short film by country References External links Nominees and ...
. In Norway it was nominated for the Amanda Award for Best Short Film.


References


External links

* {{Eskil Vogt 2002 short films 2002 films British drama short films Films about suicide Films directed by Joachim Trier Norwegian short films Films with screenplays by Eskil Vogt 2000s English-language films