Beware: The short film Werpsel bamboozles your mind
The short film Werpsel is about a mother and son. But from the moment you lay eyes on Lena and Leonard, it’s evident that something doesn’t add up with these two.
Lena is an elderly unkempt woman with an empty gaze who responds mechanically to Leonard’s efforts to interact with her. And the forty-something Leonard tries hard – perhaps a tad too hard – to evoke a response from her. To tell the truth: Lena keeps Leonard busy – perhaps again, too busy. He dances with her, feeds her, bathes her, puts her to bed, and keeps checking in to see if she’s alright. However, there is something awkward about the way Leonard smiles whilst dealing with Lena. What really lies behind this smile?
At first, it seems as if Lena has dementia or is maybe recovering from a stroke, but why does she suddenly show signs of life whenever Leonard can’t see her? What is she up to, and why?
This psychological thriller keeps you on your toes, and Gustav Gerdener and Isabella Moster’s skilful portrayal of Leonard and Leza bamboozle your mind. You want to pity their characters, but until Werpsel’s denouement, you are not sure which one deserves your sympathy.
Isabella made her television debut as Liefie in the classic drama series Arende, for which she received an Artes nomination. kykNET viewers might also recognise her as Marike from Binnelanders, while Gustav is best known for playing one of the leads in Deon Opperman’s Bloedbroers. Besides their acting, they both work behind the scenes in the television industry as well. Isabella is a vocal coach, and Gustav an AD.
“When I read the script, Gustav and Isabella immediately came to mind,” says Philip Nolte, Werpsel’s producer. “I have spent time with both of them on sets and thought they would bring an interesting dimension to this creepy mother-and-son relationship.”
The screenplay was written by Barnado Bloem, who also directed Werpsel. Watching a documentary on television late at night sparked Werpsel’s mind-bending story. The documentary was about a patient at a psychiatric hospital who had a weird perception of the hospital staff.
“I am fascinated about how the mind works and how powerful an emotion or a perspective can be,” Barnardo explains. “The documentary made me wonder how it would play out if someone in a normal-life environment perceived someone completely wrong.”
Barnardo, a man of many talents, had to wait years before studying film. Since film school was too expensive after finishing high school, he first followed his other big love, music. He was the guitarist of the band The Monroes, which performed in Nashville, Tennesee, in 2010 and 2011, and he also won a Loerie Award for scoring a film.
“After I had started my own business, I finally had the means to enrol at a film school at the age of 33. I was the grandpa of the class! “Barnardo quips.
Barnardo also wrote some of the music featured in Werpsel and one of the songs for Dans dat die biesies bewe, another short film at this year’s festival.
Werpsel is screened at the Silwerskerm Film Festival on Thursday, 24 August, at 09:00 and will be on kykNET and Showmax later.