Bunny

Mia Trachinger = director

review by Joanne Yamaguchi and Gus Calabrese
at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival

 

Luda IS good at it. The viewer does not know whether to laugh or to cry about this. And Nik is NOT good at it, at least according to the bunny corporation rules. Nik is too honest about his own troubles and depression. Bunnies can't afford such self-indulgence. Luda's steely survival instinct takes on ghoulish traces as she plots a bunny path for herself away from Nik.

Mia Trachinger's first feature comes as a surprise from a native of L.A. The absorption in Nik and Luda is so complete that Bunny initially seems like a film from Eastern Europe. As refugees who have fled to America from Eastern Euro, Nik and Luda must find work. Their special skills are useless to them in America. They find jobs as bunnies who hop in place on street corners to offer bunny sympathy to passersby in need of comfort. The viewer does not know whether to laugh or cry as Nik tries to persuade Luda that being bunnies is not their destiny in America. Luda reacts angrily, defensively, "I like my job. And I'm good at it."

The concept must be seen and felt to get the full effect of adult-size people hopping and hovering in place in bunny-like fashion. Pet a large bunny. Tell it your problems. It will listen sympathecially, patiently. A carthasis does take place! (Unless it's Nik - then the bunny might talk back and tell you his troubles!)

 

 

 
 

On the streets of Toronto we spied a bunny, felt drawn to go to it and to pet it. It was the Bunny film distribution and publicity team during TIFF. The pink bunny costumes with large floppy ears is at first utterly laughable. Soon, however, one ceases laughing. Something serious is going on here. Something DOES happen when you pet a human-adult-size bunny and it listens to your wailing and confidences.
Perhaps it's time for a Bunny revolution in America!