MWFF Critics Lab review challenge
This year’s Melbourne Women in Film Festival's Critics Lab kicked off with a challenge: Craft a review with a strict 150-word limit. For these aspiring film critics, it wasn't merely a matter of writing up their thoughts, but of doing so with a precise approach, making every word count. The film they watched was Shipping Them, a fabulously queer short that screened in our Femme Frontera International Shorts Showcase. With so much to say, the mentees found it challenging to distill their thoughts, and yet, they persevered. It's impressive to see how these emerging writers rose to the challenge and demonstrated their creativity and critical perspectives.
A flourish of the wrist, the flashing edge of a controller, and a sly wink: these glints among the ordinary precipitate the flight towards an imaginary of womanhood, in the campish Shipping Them. From the everyday mundanity of a shipping container home, Lux flirts with the trademarked benefits of female identity as it has been commercialized throughout the decades: the kitschy glamor of the mid-20th century housewife, and the material autonomy promised by a girlboss feminism. Yet Shipping Them draws limits of this imaginary, ultimately, to rehearse what is already known: female identities are marginalized, underneath patriarchy. Rejecting the binary gender system altogether, Lux instead locates the crux of a non-binary gender identity in the aspirational return towards oneself. But what this selfhood might mean more concretely — particularly when selves are still embroiled in the process of negotiating gender constructs, and non-binary gender identities typically do not escape marginalization under the patriarchy — is not something the film needs to consider, when Lux is nestled in the comfort of a mother’s lap. — Erika Lay
Shipping Them is a short about Lux, a non-binary person envious of the girl next door. The film does well to tackle themes around gender and identity from a non-binary viewpoint. Amusingly the movie has visual cues around gender peppered cleverly around. Small details such as the non-binary flag emerging in the title or colours associated with masculine and feminine seen throughout give credence to the themes explored. Whilst it starts humorous with Lux fantasying about the perfect life, the film subtly dissolves the illusion and humour away to reveal the reality behind it. Lux comes to a realisation leading to a beautiful and satisfying exchange with their mother. Shipping Them explores profound themes around identity sprinkled with humour together wonderfully. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. However, recognising that the fence can be knocked down to reveal something more beautiful, acceptance. — Madeleine McDonald
Gender is so rigid in its structure and rules that even thinking outside these confines takes whimsy and imagination. Shipping Them, a short film about the nonbinary character Lux, takes this whimsy and imagination and embeds it into the storytelling. Lux yearns to be the girl next door, and the film blurs reality and daydreams to explore Lux’s relationship with their culture, mother, and gender. A spelt-out narration contradicts the film’s perspective on imagination, making statements seem shallow and naive- which is a shame as the film shines when it messes with reality. Shipping Them depicts desire and dreaming of another life as a blur of realities. Lux watches the Oscars red carpet with their mum while interviewing and posing on said red carpet. Cartoon birds are more prominent in real-life conversations than in Lux’s fantasies. In the film's close, Lux loses grip - is this their daydream, future, or real life? — Chelsea Daniel
Shipping Them is a short film that offers a refreshing and nuanced discussion about gender, culture and self-discovery. The film follows Lux, a gender-nonconforming person, as they come to terms with their identity. As the audience, we get to live out Lux’s fantasies with them as they take a deep dive into what makes them who they are. While the narration is cringy at times, we are given great insight into the journey of a Latin-x gender non-conforming person and their experiences (which are often overlooked). The film also touches on complex parental relationships, toxic masculinity and social acceptance, which add a lot of depth to the story. Overall, Shipping Them is a tremendous thought-provoking film that hopefully will be the first of many. — Shantal Hayden
Shipping Them tells the story of Lux and the journey through their relationship with gender. Writer, director, and star of Shipping Them, Ryan Rox draws from personal experience as the film tackles the rigidity of compulsory heterosexuality. “I want to be the girl next door” says Lux, meaning it literally. They guide the viewers through their experiences in gender envy, and how it affects their present day. Lux acts out the many versions of self and fantasy scenarios that they have imagined and hoped for themself. The film’s use of younger self is straightforward, which proves useful in short film form, but has the unfortunate potential to become increasingly grating, while the use of camcorder footage communicates how rooted the narrative is in reality. The complexities of gender expression are displayed by undermining strict gender norms through Lux’s fantasy foresight, as a happy ending is provided outside of the binary. — Ruby Box
Personal, thoughtful and unabashedly queer, the short film Shipping Them, written, directed and starring Ryan Rox, tracks the winding exploration of gender expression and the discovery of non- binary identity. The film follows its protagonist, Lux, as they reach back into their childhood and imagination, embarking on a journey of questioning, reflection and discovery. Uniquely stylised, using animated overlays of birds and bees throughout, Shipping Them leans into the visual qualities of its daydream world. Unfortunately, there are moments when the film neglects its heartfelt, empathetic storytelling in pursuit of this almost kitsch aesthetic. The narration and story feel, at times, slightly amateur, although this does suggest a naive kind of sincerity. Indeed, Shipping Them features enough earnest self-reflection to constitute a genuine and meaningful story of a queer coming-of-age and an assertion of queer identity, although I wish it drew more from this emotional core. — Meg Funston