HITTE (2019)

2019 short film HITTE (HEAT) from The Netherlands by director Thessa Meijer is described as a romantic-comedy, and probably seen as simply a silly fantasy at most…but it is legitimately chilling to this viewer. (Pun not intended, but gladly welcomed)

It’s a very simple premise of a girl who has a crush on a boy who works at an ice cream parlor. What happens next is meant to be odd but cute, but legitimately solely reminds me of the body-horror of Brian Yuzna or the 1993 film BODY MELT, with its multiple biological permutations amid oddly bright and happy tones.

I first saw it as part of SXSW 2019’s virtual event and it has stayed on my brain, stuck like the sugar from ice cream adhering to a finger.

From the YouTube description (translated from Dutch to English):

“HITTE is a rom-com with a twist,” says director Thessa Meijer. “For this role, Famke Louise dives into a character that is far removed from her in personality. She does this fantastically, with humor and full of dedication. There is also a strong chemistry between Famke and her opponent Daniël Kolf (De Libi).”

I’m going to go ahead and guess that “co-star” doesn’t translate particularly well and thus we get “opponent”, but maybe I’m reading the scene wrong.

IMDb offers the following plot summary:

During an extreme heat wave, a shy girl seeks refuge in an ice cream shop. But when she looks into the eyes of the charming vendor, she is on thin ice.

The short was made by film club/YouTube Channel Cineville, which celebrated its 10 year anniversary by giving “three talented Dutch directors a license: film your dream scene. Et voilà: three stubborn movie scenes.”

So enjoy the possibly adorable, possibly psychologically scarring, definitely original and well-made HITTE from Thessa Meijer.