It’s not often that we cover teaser trailers for short films, but the talent and premise behind the upcoming BBC Two short, “Strasbourg 1518,” is just too strong to ignore. And even though we only get 15 seconds of a tease, it’s worth watching and sharing with readers.
Admittedly, the teaser for “Strasbourg 1518” is far from enlightening. There’s no real hint at any sort of story that might be told. In fact, all that’s shown is a mixture of quick clips and stills of people dancing in various rooms. But we get a hint at what filmmaker Jonathan Glazer and composer Mica Levi have in store for us next week and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
It was just announced last week that Glazer was set to premiere his new short, devised and directed during quarantine, on BBC Two in a matter of days. “Strasbourg 1518” is a pandemic-influenced short inspired by the 1518 “Dancing Plague” that saw dozens of people moving in a dance sort of way uncontrollably in what is now France. Obviously, Glazer is using that as a parallel to examine what is going on now with COVID-19. The filmmaker has brought in some of the best dancers in the world to help tell the story, and that much is clear from the new teaser.
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What is also obvious is the music from Levi. The relatively new film composer has already earned an Oscar nomination for her work on the film, “Jackie.” Her unmistakable style is obvious just in the 15 seconds seen in the trailer. Levi is reteaming with Glazer after the two collaborated on the composer’s first major film work, 2013’s “Under the Skin.”
As mentioned, BBC Two is set to premiere “Strasbourg 1518” later this month on July 20.