Marion

Putting aside my bleeding-heart feelings towards bullfighting, the story of Marion, a female Matador navigating misogyny along with the bovines is a heart-filled and heart-pounding short with some stunning cinematography and direction from Joe Weiland and Finn Constantine.

The titular Marion (Caroline Nogues-Larbere) is the sole woman in a French bull-jumping troupe. The recipient of disdain and discrimination from her teammates behind her back, she feels pressure to fit in and prove herself to those around her. Preparing herself for her performance in the face of this is difficult – and made more difficult by the appearance of her daughter Emilie (Chloe Bugard). Her moment in the spotlight comes around, but the inherent dangers of the bullring mean even the slightest distraction comes with immense risk...

The toxic influence of sexism runs through Marion from its opening moments. Overhearing her supposed teammates dismissing her abilities and contemplating abandoning her in the ring infiltrates Marion’s preparation from the film’s opening. This isolation from the rest of the group ends up leading to a potentially reckless decision – but one she feels obliged to take. Despite playing by their rules and customs, and letting such comments wash over her, Marion’s presence alone seems enough to cause a problem for the others. It is a powerful representation of how such attitudes are rarely the fault of the victim, but often lead to consequences for them above those who inflict them.

The arena sequences in the film are stunning (and violence free – if anyone was worried). The bull-jumping acrobatics display the incredible athleticism of the ecarteurs, and make clear the risks they take when stepping into the arena with a charging bull. The slow-motion conclusion involving Marion is the highlight of this, a genuinely brilliant piece of filmmaking to capture such a risky manoeuvre that maintains the artistry of the short. Audiences will feel their own vision slow to the pace of the film as the horns of the bull spell disaster.

Caroline Nogues-Larbere draws on raw experiences of misogyny and judgement to deliver a powerful central performance. Stony-faced and unshaken in the locker room and determined in the ring, her emotions flow in scenes with daughter Emilie. With bravery already required for the sport, standing firm in the face of those around her is the real challenge. The small vulnerabilities we see make the overcoming of this all the more satisfying.

Marion may not reinvent films that take on sexism and misogyny in male-dominated worlds, but set in an original world and built from an authentic floor on upwards mean this short is gripping, insightful and underlined with an unexpected visceral danger.