The Heart of the World is a short film written and directed by Guy Maddin

Guy Maddin

Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...

, produced for the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto International Film Festival

The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...

. It is a homage to silent film

Silent film

A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...

s, and as such, it is black and white, grainy, and without dialogue, and contains many references to styles and movies of the silent era. Only 6 minutes long, it runs at a very fast pace, at an average rate of two shots per second, which is intensified by the background music, Time, Forward!

Time, Forward!

Time, Forward! is a 1965 Soviet drama film directed by Sofiya Milkina and Mikhail Shveytser based on a novel with the same name and a screenplay by Valentin Katayev. Composer Georgy Sviridov, sound by Lev Trakhtenberg. Production by Mosfilm by the order of Goskino.The title is derived from...

, by Georgy Sviridov

Georgy Sviridov

Georgy Vasilyevich Sviridov was a Soviet Russian neoromantic composer....

.

Plot summary

Two brothers, mortician Nikolai and actor Osip (playing Christ

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

 in a Passion play

Passion play

A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....

), love the same woman—scientist Anna, who studies the Earth's core, or the "heart of the world." Anna discovers that the world is in danger. In order to save it, she must choose between the brothers, and finally decides on a rich industrialist, Akmatov. As a result, the very heart of the world has a heart attack

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

. Realizing what she has done, she strangles Akmatov and enters the Earth's core, replacing the failed heart with her own. The world is then saved by the new message, Kino.

Awards and nominations

Aspen Shortsfest:

• Win: Best Cinematography - Guy Maddin

Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film

Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film

The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival , previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film was created in 1983 as a venue for horror, thriller and science fiction films. It takes place in Brussels, every year in March...

:

• Win: Special Mention - Short Film - Guy Maddin

Miami Film Festival:

• Win: FIPRESCI Prize, Best Short Subject - Guy Maddin

National Society of Film Critics Awards

• Win: Best Experimental Film - Guy Maddin

San Francisco International Film Festival

San Francisco International Film Festival

San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...

• Win: Film & Video - Short Narrative, Golden Gate Award - Guy Maddin

External links

• The Heart of the World at Zeitgeist