“Luca Machnich’s creation is a breath of fresh air”

by Ed Blackadder

Official Synopsis: Simon is an eight-year-old boy who seems to have everything from life. He’s a handsome child, he’s rich yet unhappy. He senses that there’s something wrong with his life and this leads him to wander off thanks to his fervid imagination. His greatest wish is to leave the materialistic world behind since he isn’t fond of it. That’s why the only present he wants for Christmas is for Santa Claus to take him away to live in his fairyland toy factory. At the same time, a secret that his family has been keeping for a long time suddenly comes to the surface and it is feared that the worst might happen soon. The expectation for the stroke of midnight on the night before Christmas is transformed into reality for everyone on the eve of something truly different. Something terrible that might happen.


Review: From Italian director Luca Machnich, comes the experimental horror The Eve, a colorful and stylish short film that defies to be simply categorized and labeled. The Eve tells the story of how eight-year-old Simon finally gets his wish and meets Santa Claus, only this Santa is a bit different from the traditional one we’re used to seeing at Christmas.

The film is full of vivid colors and striking imagery, and successfully blends various types of animation with live action. We’re introduced to Simon when Santa pays the boy a visit, with Simon explaining in detail how he’d like to accompany Santa to his workshop. Simon is an only child, and while this has played a part in the boy feeling all alone and abandoned, there’s much more at work here.

Simon’s parents have a secret that they’ve been keeping from him all these years, but all that’s about to change, and coincides with Simon meeting Santa on Christmas Eve. However, they aren’t the only ones with a secret!

The Eve isn’t a film for the feint of heart, but for fans of experimental cinema, Luca Machnich’s creation is a breath of fresh air.