Natasja Schaafsma begun her career in cinema as an actress and stunt performer. In 2022, she decided to turn her until then hobby of writing scripts into actual short films. Her body of work is so far made of five short films that showcase her passions, as well as her attitude towards life.
She uses sexuality and conflict as conduits for her comedy, and she’s not afraid to showcase all her abilities in the entertainment sphere, directing, writing, acting and doing stunts. If The Fall Guy (2024) has taught us something, it is that the POV of a stuntman is seldom front and centre. Schaafsma’s work challenges that norm by utilising her insight and abilities in this area to showcase the importance of intimacy and stunt coordinators, not only to make people look cool and feel comfortable, but as an integral part of the storytelling.
Without further ado, here are the reviews of said shorts:
Stranger Danger
- Year of production: 2022
Synopsis
A girl is nervous about her first dates.
Review
The world of dating can be quite daunting. First dates are particularly scary, especially for women. In addition to not really knowing the person you are meeting, women have that additional layer of danger since gender violence is very much on brand. Add to this volatile recipe the big possibility of being catfished on online dating, and the inherent danger of being hurt by homophobes, and you can understand the protagonist’s nervous disposition.
Still, this short film showcases the sweetest narrative possible under those circumstances, one that provides some hope in a pretty dire situation. Its simplicity helps get the message across beautifully by resting the weight of the narrative on the protagonist’s acting, a job in which Schaafsma delivers without a hitch.
Eggshells
- Year of production: 2023
Synopsis
A couple whose future hangs by a thread gets in an out-of-proportion fight over a mysterious egg that turns up in their kitchen table.
Review
This film has a fun concept. Sadly, the execution is not quite as great. The story is entertaining and some jokes do land. However, the cast looks incredibly uncomfortable, and the male protagonist exaggerates most of his interactions. His attitude is so over the top, it would only make sense if he were presenting a Disney kiddie programme. Not to mention the final addition to the story, the farmer, a man who looks so completely lost and out of place with the context of the story and his own character that it kinda works as a surreal addition to the comedic circus.
The piece could have been way better with more work, particularly in the writing and acting departments. Still, it is pretty good considering it is Schaafsma’s a second film.
Office Offence
- Year of production: 2023
Synopsis
A man steals his coworkers meal and then becomes confrontational with her, prompting a dramatic showdown.
Review
Despite the incredibly uncomfortable beginning that turns theft into harassment, the action takes a pleasant turn by transforming into an impromptu battle between two coworkers.
This work combines Schaafsma’s comedic and stuntwoman abilities quite seamlessly. The character development makes absolutely no sense, but such is comedy. The choreography is quite good, even though the camera placement isn’t always the best. Overall, simple yet creative.
I Like It Rough
- Year of production: 2023
- Directors: Natasja Schaafsma and Sierra Dann.
Synopsis
A fight scene is used to symbolise intercourse between two people.
Review
In pure Schaafsma style, physicality is the centre of the narrative. In this case, it is used to compare the two most used types of choreography used in cinema (minus musicals): fighting and sex.
The fight scene acts as a metaphor for rough sex, taking the expression to the extreme, where there is no intercourse. Instead, the couple merely share blows until they are exhausted from fighting. The end result is an entertaining short film with an obviously low budget that manages to connect fighting and intimacy quite seamlessly through its narrative.
Helemaal het Einde
- Year of production: 2024
- Director: Milan Swagers.
- Writers: Isis Caljé, Natasja Schaafsma, and Joyce Tevreden.
Synopsis
Two women fall in love in the middle of an apocalypse.
Review
This film makes no sense whatsoever, beginning to end. In a world that has seen enough apocalypse films to know that sound is crucial, this film seems to be incredibly undecided on whether one can make loud sounds or not.
As for the story itself, it is as entertaining as you can make it within the time it has, but the delivery feels incredibly careless. There is no intention of acting somewhat realistically after getting wounded, or of acting at all, since the cast seems to be more focused on having fun than on delivering an actual story.
While comedy does offer a bit of a leeway in terms of how much fun one has with their character, there is also a story that needs to be taken into consideration. In this case, the carelessness of the acting and the visual effects lowers the standards of the short needlessly.
Advice to take from these short films:
- If you are meeting someone who can only recognise you by your accessory, maybe wear it?!
- Don’t start a diet you hate just for appearances, it won’t last.
- If you steal your coworker’s food, you deserve to get poisoned by laxatives.
- If you stab someone in the abdomen, there won’t be a splatter of blood on the wall behind them, much less at head height.
It is never easy to begin a career as a filmmaker. Nevertheless, if you have as much creativity as Natasja Schaafsma, you should really give it a try! I wonder what Schaafsma will be capable of with bigger budgets, and I can’t wait to see!
What’s your take? Have you watched any of these short films?
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