At the outset of Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke, we find a couple, Dumpy (Emily Tomlins) and Portly (Anthony Hayes), living through an existential crisis in muted frivolity. The couple resides in a worn out trailer, which they stuck inside of a warehouse where they only have cats for comfort. Dumpy knows endless facts, but can’t get herself to do anything with them. Portly, being the man of the trailer, occasionally travels to and from the city with a packed bag courtesy of Dumpy. While Portly is gone, Dumpy dumbly tries to pass time. Then all of the sudden a man literally crashes right into Dumpy’s world. She can’t believe it, so she hides. Soon she shapes up and offers this man an ice-cold beer as an icebreaker. It’s a curious encounter that expands Dumpy’s world and confuses our own expectations. The handsome stranger tells her his car has a flat tire, a tight nut, and he hasn’t the strength to fix it. He wants to call a service, but she makes him a bet, which will change her life. This sparks a subtle revelation within Dumpy that is masked by accidental and unsubtle sexual wordplay. I love when a film ends on a joke.
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Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke is Mirrah Foulkes’ first short film. It won some awards at Aspen Shortsfest, Sydney Film Fest, and Flickerfest. However, she’s mostly known as an actress from films like Animal Kingdom, Top of the Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Spider—a film we featured on VICE Shorts. She’s also a part of the fantastic Australian Blue Tongue Film Collective. We featured their own amazing shorts Bear and I Love Sarah Jane a few months back. To learn more about Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke, check out the interview below with Mirrah Foulkes.
Jeffrey Bowers is a tall mustached guy from Ohio who’s seen too many weird movies. He currently lives in Brooklyn, working as an art and film curator. He is a programmer at the Hamptons International Film Festival and screens for the Tribeca Film Festival. He also self-publishes a super fancy mixed-media art serial called PRISM index.
Previously—I’m Short, Not Stupid Presents: ‘The Lark’