Jorji: Good look Blue yeis Wery toll

February 24, 2018 12:47 PM

Glory to Arstotzka! Papers Please is now a short film (10 mins) (Previously)
posted by saucysault (14 comments total)

Powerfully moving. PSA: please don't go in expecting to be entertained - if you haven't heard about Papers, Please, it's a game in which you're a border inspector in a totalitarian country.
posted by hat_eater at 1:35 PM on February 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

For KOLECHIA!
posted by Samizdata at 1:39 PM on February 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

I heard about this! Thank you for posting it; I had forgotten! I'd thought it was going to be 45 minutes long, but I'm not complaining. This was very well done. The lead has an amazing face, so hard yet so expressive.

I would have loved to see a feature film based on this game, where the inspector has to cope with his miserable apartment and sick family as well as the revolution, but I would never expect it. I don't know that there has ever been a movie based on a video game that wasn't adventure or horror. This would have to be a quiet, gray film with subtitles.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:40 PM on February 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thanks for posting, I'm a fan of the game but hadn't heard of this film. Agree with Countess Elena, I'd love to see a longer version of this.

I found it a little odd that everything was written in English but the actors were speaking... Russian? But otherwise it captured a lot of the feeling of the game.
posted by good in a vacuum at 1:57 PM on February 24, 2018

Yes, Russian. I assume there's a version with the writing in Russian and this is for the international market.
posted by languagehat at 2:51 PM on February 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

I thought it was well done, if depressing. What's the point of the "Good look Blue yeis Wery toll" title? It didn't reflect anything in the film; is it from the game?
posted by languagehat at 2:54 PM on February 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

The title is found at 6:10 in the film and refers to the description segment of the entrants' passports...it is a homage to the game in a certain way that would spoil too much by describing it further.
posted by Khazk at 3:07 PM on February 24, 2018 [2 favorites]

What no M Vonel?
posted by doop at 3:42 PM on February 24, 2018

I could barely get through the game on the first couple of playthroughs. As someone besieged by various Immigration systems her entire life, I couldn't deal with the idea of sympathizing with an Immigration officer.

The film is very well done and possibly one of the best film adaptations of video games I've seen. But still very hard to watch.
posted by divabat at 4:37 PM on February 24, 2018 [3 favorites]

But surely there already WAS a Papers, Please! short film. (Warning: sketch comedy)
posted by dannyboybell at 4:02 AM on February 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

The very opening shot felt very, very Wes Anderson.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:16 AM on February 25, 2018

A bit late, but if anyone needs a pick me up, there is the Loading Ready Run version.
posted by Canageek at 12:34 PM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

Canageek, dannyboybell: Thank you, both, for outing yourselves as LRR-fans. And scooping me on the link.
posted by TrishaLynn at 12:50 PM on February 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

Sorry, I missed that Dannyboybell had already posted it.
posted by Canageek at 10:05 AM on March 2, 2018