![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Screen-shot-2011-05-04-at-4.07.47-PM.png\" "\\"Screen")
<\/a>The highlight of the festival for me so far has to be Bret Wood\u2019s \u201cThe Little Death.\u201d Wood, a filmmaker committed to making movies in his hometown of Atlanta, joined me to talk about the film. Like his 2006 film \u201cPsychopathia Sexualis,\u201d \u201cThe Little Death\u201d is a period drama that explores sexuality in a mature and intelligent way. The set-bound film is superior to \u201cSexualis\u201d in many ways and will be much more accessible exposing the filmmaker\u2019s unique perspective to a broader audience. Writer\/director Wood, a detailed perfectionist, crafts his tale by borrowing from the works of Frank Wedekind (\u201cDeath and Devil\u201d) and Anton Chekhov (\u201cA Nervous Breakdown\u201d). And the result is utterly enchanting.<\/p>\nEssentially a lushly shot stage play that is impeccably acted, Wood\u2019s \u201cThe Little Death\u201d surprised me with its literate approach to the controversial subject of sex for sale. While the period is the turn-of-the-century, the values and conflicts explored are very much relevant today. Three young men enter a brothel to partake in the spoils. One of the young men is troubled by the activity and questions whether they should be there at all. His naivety soon turns to crude curiosity when one of the more nubile prostitutes plays innocent and spars with him intellectually. Meanwhile a strong-willed woman enters the brothel looking to save one of the women and is confronted by the equally strong-willed male owner. The two engage in some pointed and often tension filled banter that eventually takes on a flirty tone.<\/p>\n
Focusing on the technical side of things, \u201cThe Little Death\u201d was shot on a Panasonic HVX200, which in this day of DSLR filmmaking seems a bit antiquated. And yet, the look of the film is impressive. Initially, I was thrown by the colors, which bathes its characters in many dark shades. A short film called \u201cThe Strange Ones\u201d played right before \u201cDeath\u201d was shot almost entirely outside which made it much brighter and sharper looking. But the coupling of the two films was a smart choice by the festival because both films shared in troubling subject matter. And film geeks should take heart that the camera used to shoot \u201cDeath\u201d can be purchased used for less than $3000. <\/p>\n
In my interview that I\u2019ll cut and post in the next week, Wood talks about his next project being set in modern times and whether he\u2019d like to move to Hollywood. While he may have LA dreams, he\u2019s happy pursuing them in Atlanta. But if he keeps making movies as carefully constructed as \u201cThe Little Death,\u201d Atlanta might have a hard time holding onto him.<\/p>\n