“One Man, Two Superpowers, Three Ex-wives, Four Autopsies” is a tag line that is often used to describe Ten for Grandpa, a short film from the director Doug Karr and his team.
Released in January of 2009, the short has already captured hearts of critics, appearing in countless film festivals across the country, including the Sundance Film Festival, and winning multiple awards such as the Special Jury Recognition Award at the Aspen Shortfest.
This slick, fast-paced short is a must see for all, but don’t worry the addition of a great storyline and superb camera work will certainly make it worth your while.
David Karr is a husband, a father, White House press reporter, film producer, powerful millionaire, defense contractor, corporate CEO, and a … Soviet agent? Most importantly, however, he is a grandfather to the main character in the story, who is more than curious about a life of his mysterious relative.
Armed with a list of unanswered questions our narrator takes us than on a seven minute journey into his grandfather’s past, including the events surrounding his untimely death. “Was he an existential hero operating outside the everyday constraints of society, or a loose canon willing to indiscriminately betray associates, friends and family members in the service of his obsessive ambition?”
Shot on nine custom sets in a Toronto soundstage, the short is not just another undertaking by writer and director Doug Karr; in a way, it is based on his own family for the script for Ten for Grandpa was literally based on ten questions Karr always wished he could ask his grandfather if he was still alive.
Ten for Grandpa was certainly a delight to watch, in great part due to the flawless performances from the main actors David Alpay and David Huband. But taking acting aside, it is the smooth camera work and nearly seamless transitions between the scenes that quickly set us off on one unforgettable journey. “The story and the narrator travel uninterrupted through a kitchen window, into a hotel hallway, into a Klu Klux Klan Grand Dragon’s lair, into Grandma’s apartment, into a morgue, and on and on. It’s a theatrical effect that gives the film the energy of a metaphysical daydream.”
To learn more about the crew and the actors be sure to visit the links below.
Related Links:
Ten for Grandpa on Pie Face Pictures
Ten for Grandpa on Vimeo
Ten for Grandpa on Facebook