Niccolo Montanari presents us ‘HIM & HER’ here on GoSee – the modern interpretation of a short story by Anton Chekhov from the 19th century. The first narrative short film by Director Daria Geller illustrates how our emotional intelligence, or the way we love and hate, hasn’t really changed over the years. The film is an homage to strong feelings such as anger, hate and jealously, which are an indispensable part of an often purely positively connoted concept of love – and are indeed what turn it into the very flame which burns so intensely, and which we all so willingly celebrate in life as we do on stage or here in the film.
Daria Geller on the film: “A modern interpretation of ‘He & She’, a short story consisting of letters between two lovers written by Anton Chekhov in the 19th century, ‘Him & Her’ illustrates how the way we love hasn’t changed over the years. Directed by Daria Geller, ‘Him & Her’ questions the nature of love – an anti-fairy tale offering a more realistic depiction of relationships. A tale of love and hate, the short film explores toxic dynamics which, though they don’t fit into society’s expectations of romance, can form an intrinsic part of love.”
Fashion film specialist and curator Niccolo Montanari : “The film revolves around the concept of love and hate being inescapably connected. The playfulness, the teasing, the pushing and pulling become behaviors that the two main characters have adopted over the years – a visceral way of loving which they thoroughly enjoy and despise at the same time. In an unfortunate paradox, only with the ones that we truly love do we feel comfortable enough to show the worst of ourselves.
‘Him & Her’ is the first narrative short film directed by Geller. It’s currently being screened at a range of international film festivals and has won Best Short Film and Best Actress at Cinalfama, Best Short and Best Cinematography at Indie Short Fest, and has been nominated for Best Cinematography at ARFF Berlin International Awards.”