Learn about Idle Shorts

THE 52-WEEK ANTHOLOGY

Idle Shorts

52 Stories of Human Connection

Idle Shorts explores human connections through 52 films and vignettes, each serving as a weekly entry in a year-long diary. Our stories weave through the complex layers of who we are. The state of our relations and the fragile ties we keep with nature. Designed for a modern audience living in the age of distraction, Idle Shorts combines the brevity of short stories with the depth of classic features. It suggests a new way to approach cinema.


Why idleness?

Humans In The Age Of Distraction

Idleness varies across languages. In English, it carries nuanced meanings. The German term "Müßiggang" celebrates leisure positively, while French "oisiveté" negatively implies laziness.
We see idleness as a form of resistance. It's about stepping back from our constant digital distractions. To find beauty and meaning in odd places. To pay attention to the moments that might seem mundane but hold the ingredients of our connection to life and each other. Virginia Woolf once said, "It is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the surface."

52-Week Anthology

Cinematic Delights

Idle Shorts is a collection of 52 fictional films set in Europe and the Mediterranean. The stories explore diverse cultures while introducing some recurring ideas and characters. Each film is a standalone unit, spanning between 3 and 30 minutes.These themes revolve around human relationships and our connection to life and nature. All of the films in this collection have a common thread of rediscovering what it means to be human. They celebrate our humanity in a world where technology claims to bring us closer but often leaves us feeling disconnected.

A Filmmaker’s Diary

A Film for Each Week of the Year

Idle Shorts is structured as a weekly journal, with each episode numbered and dated on screen to reflect the 52 weeks of the year. For example:Sunday, May 13 - 16:14,
Week Nº 18 - Reading Old Letters.
This numbering creates a countdown effect, highlighting the passage of time, seasons, and the idea of diary keeping. Viewers can watch the collection in any order, enjoying each film as an independent work, like reading a personal journal.

Thematic Bundles

Curated Feature Films

Over time, our anthology has evolved to be much more than just a collection of stories. It aims to engage with audiences looking for new and meaningful ways to watch films. Stories that approach both lighthearted and profound subjects from fresh perspectives.
We have organized our collection into nine overarching themes or bundles, each with its own set of narratives. Each bundle connects different stories under a shared idea or framework. Our bundles include: The Public Bench, Four Elements, Lost Pleasures, Beast & Feather, Love Stories, The Art of Travel, After Diner Dance, Ivan's Trilogy, and A Seasonal Hero.

The Public Bench
Four Elements
Lost Pleasures
Beast & Feather
Love Stories
The Art of Travel
After Dinner Dance
Ivan's Trilogy
A Seasonal Hero

Nine Feature Films

Multiple Viewing Experiences

Each bundle offers the integrated experience of a feature film, with durations ranging from 60 to 90 minutes.
While these bundles are cohesive units, every story within them is crafted to be enjoyed independently. Our anthology allows viewers to dive into each film-entry without following the thematic collection. This design perfectly fits our 52-week structure, offering viewers multiple ways to engage with the anthology. Whether you immerse yourself in a theme or pick and choose stories individually.

52-Week Anthology

Lab for Short Form Fiction

We see three specific modes to enjoy our stories. You can discover our films independently, in any order you like. Or, you can follow them in chronological order over a year. For a more immersive experience, you can watch feature film bundles that group stories based on a shared idea, premise, or framework.
Since 2016, we've produced over 25 films directed by Iliès Terki. All films have a similar rhythm, visual style, and timeless quality. Our production process is guided by four key values. We take an adaptive and bottom-up approach to filmmaking, control most of the means of production, focus on diversity behind and in front of the camera, and prioritize lean production.

Epilogue

Each of the films in our collection has a distinct and colorful stroke that stands out in its way. However, when viewed as a whole, like an impressionist painting, these individual strokes come together to reveal a vivid picture of the human experience.


Stay Tuned

Idle Shorts is an on-going project. To learn more or stay up-to-date with progress and new releases, sign-up to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, or why not both.




{currentyear} © Idle Films UG. All rights reserved. Imprint