TIGHT JEANS

 DIRECTED BY DESTINY EKARAGHA

'Tight Jeans' is perhaps the simplest of the short films, but it is its simplicity that makes it so effective. It features three young black men sitting on a wall in an estate talking. Their topics of discussion range from the tightness of a passing man's jeans to the causes of slavery while maintaining a comedic tone throughout.

The opening shots introduce us to the characters of these three men without showing us their faces. We see the backs of their heads, their feet, and also the front of their bodies (with the heads remaining out of shot), and through their clothes and mannerisms, we get a sense of who these people are. They play with their hands, have a slouched posture, and kick each other. There is an ease about their movements, but also a sense that they are waiting for something, and this is all set up before a single word of dialogue.

When the dialogue does start, it is incredibly naturalistic. The film addresses social issues and everyday ignorance through a conversational tone, and stupid stories about how 'them white girls love us'. It never loses its sense of humour, and reflects real conversations through dialect and disagreements. As they talk, the camera pans slowly from side to side, never staying still. This adds to the relaxed feeling of their conversation, as a still camera would feel too restricted, and almost staged.

The film then ends how it begins - with the three men discussing how tight another man's outfit is (although this time it's his shirt, not his trousers). Allowing for the final comedic touch - they're going to be sat here for a long time.