3 out of 5

Director: Nacho Cerdà

Genesis, as was the case with director Cerdas previous short, Aftermath, is a perfect example of finding a topic matter and shooting style the matches your chosen medium. Genesis has a plot crux that Hollywood would probably love to play at feature length – a sculptor whos lifelike work-in-progress of his deceased wife suddenly starts to bleed and grow flesh… flesh which seems to be disappearing from his body at the same time, replaced with stone. (Clay? Whatever.) While Genesis does more to actually make an emotional connection with its viewer, versus the cold observational experimentation of Aftermath, it still comes across as removed. This again seems purposeful, however, as Cerda does not focus at length on the leads feelings over his wife, or her statues transformation, but instead shifts the camera around his workshop and plays the beats pretty quickly. It is again without dialogue, and again seems to be more attempting to capture an action than to actually make a statement about it. The pacing is excellent, and the editing and colors quite beautiful. Another worthwhile short from Cerda that, while perhaps not truly affecting, displays another interesting step in an evolving career.