Dress Code (2004) Online

Three women dressed in striking red outfits are on the streets and roofs in a busy business district. Each one of them has to do battle with the fact that they are seen as sexual object in the workplace, as represented by three filing cabinets, which move them to a quarry. Narrative cohesion is not the name of the game here.

Shown as part of a series of dance related short films all funded from the same pot, this was easily the best of the lot even if it made very little sense and is hard to really get into before it finishes. Basically the three women dance around filing cabinets, the sexual aspect I have read into a series of movements they make around the "office" before breaking free and aspiring to more while (literally) being at the bottom of the workplace pile. Substance wise it is vague and weird but it does enough to make you think rather than just dismissing it. Of course I think it could have done more to help us out but then maybe it would have risked insulting the audience by spelling things out? Where the film totally succeeds is in the visuals and music. The score is a consistently cool sort of funky jazz and was very easy to listen to and matched the other-worldly feel to the whole piece. The dance is mostly good although some jerky motions looked clumsy, the director does some very good shots and the whole thing has a strange feel to it that kept me watching – in particular the striking red dresses are effective.

Overall this is not a great short film but for dance fans it will be very interesting. It looks and sounds great and, although the substance is vague and hard to really get into, it is a fun little short that is worth seeing if you get the chance.