When you mention The Little Mermaid you automatically think of The Disney animated film but like many literature classics they get adapted over and over again. In Nicholas Humpries short film he takes the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairytale twisted the imagery into something captivating,unsettling as the mermaid struggles for freedom.
The Little Mermaid is part Vancouver Film School’s “Compendium” series, enjoy the full short visually brilliant.
Deep in a barren, fantastical wasteland lays a dilapidated circus tent. Inside, an ominous ringmaster forces his prized act, a real live mermaid to perform for a group of grimy, working class spectators. The mermaid, though frightening, is but a lovesick, caged animal praying for release from her endless torture. Unwilling to surrender his meal ticket, the ringmaster rejects her pleas for compassion and continues to confine the mermaid to her stagnant holding tank. With nowhere to escape to, the mermaid must make the choice between holding on to the hope of freedom and putting an end to her abuse.source:Quietearth
Produced by Samantha Jewell, Lindsey Mann, Justin Simon and Aliya Tarmo through the VFS Compendium series and Directed by Nicholas Humphries (Riese: Kingdom Falling), The Little Mermaid is a twisted reimagining of the classic Hans Christian Anderson tale.