ONCE FAMILIAR
DIRECTED BY RUBÉN GONZÁLEZ
UNITED KINGDOM // 2020
11 MINS
A girl awakens in the middle of an unknown forest. Seeking a way out, she begins to follow someone in the distance only to discover they are her mirror image.
Reflective Encounters
“A tangle of fallen branches. Bloodied teeth. A wandering body. Something mind-bending lurks in the woods in this confidently crafted horror. Gripping from the first shot - a dark, damp woodland of indeterminable era or place - Once Familiar leads us on a metaphysical journey, questioning the nature of self and time. Created by a talented team with a singular vision, each part of this film feels assured - we can almost reach out and touch the dark soil, feel the breeze as it breathes through the trees.
Horror is a popular genre for budding filmmakers, but it can be a difficult one to master. Here, rather than relying on out-and-out terror or jump scares, the filmmakers lean into creating a captivating puzzle and an addictive sense of foreboding. The quiet restraint of Once Familiar is admirable, steadily drawing us into the mystery without rushing to make us solve it. Special mention should go to Lex Guelas’ editing, which deftly delivers invigorating tonal shifts.
Concise and mysterious, this is the kind of film to spawn lengthy discussion threads and various theories - a great accomplishment. Once Familiar proves that a simple premise can be captivating in the right hands.”
— Malaika Kegode
Filmmaker Q&A
A Q&A with filmmakers from The Familiar is Metaphysical programme at Encounters Film Festival 2021.
Filmmakers - Zhiyi Wang (Some manifestations of the South), Rubén González (Once Familiar) and Barbara Lervig (Where Do We Go?)
Hosted by Ren Scateni, Encounters Head of Programme.
Director's Statement
Fear is the most primitive emotion that embeds everything around us. It’s a natural response that protects us from danger and forces that might harm us.
But what happens when that same fear becomes distorted, irrational and illogical? What happens when we become afraid of our own selves? Does fear then become our biggest threat?
Once Familiar is an experience film, a layered puzzle which attempts to reach into the subconscious of the viewer and pull out something unique to each individual.
An experiment of uncanniness and mystery in a misshapen reality in which, like a snake that bites its own tail, our protagonist is running away from her own self whilst also hunting herself.