The Global Search for Education: The Disputants – Exploring Honor-Bound Conflict and Satirical Filmmaking

Posted By C. M. Rubin on Jul 15, 2023

This month, audiences can screen The Disputants on the Planet Classroom Network. This film is curated by Planet Classroom.

The Disputants, directed by Malibu Taetz, is a captivating short film where two men must confront each other with a life-or-death choice.

Standing back-to-back, guns at the ready, they strive to agree on a signal to turn and shoot. In a comedic twist, a mediator, who exploits their distraction, suggests the code word “fire.” The story is a cautionary reminder about trust. With remarkable cinematography, immersive sound effects, and a thought-provoking narrative, The Disputants leaves a lasting impact.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome the film’s director, Malibu Taetz.
Malibu, we love your film. What inspired you to explore the concept of honor-bound conflict and the dilemma of agreeing on a signal in The Disputants? Were there any particular influences or experiences that shaped the narrative?

The main inspiration was actually the movies I used to make when I was a kid. I would do lots of swashbucklers and literary adaptations of books by authors like Robert Louis Stevenson. But I would take them (and myself) very seriously and forget to enjoy them. The Disputants was kind of my way of poking fun at my younger self and remembering that it’s okay to laugh sometimes.

The comedy sketch involving the mediator adds a lighthearted touch to the film. How did you approach balancing the comedic elements with the underlying message of trust and vigilance? What were some of the challenges you faced in executing this balance?

The intention was to set up things as very grave and serious, and then for there to be a “turn” that reveals the utter ridiculousness of the situation. The two duelists are in a life-or-death match to regain their honor. But that same honor forces them to face the wall away from each other. Neither can turn around and work out a better system of killing the other without betraying his honor. Two gods of ages past locked in an eternal stare-down in which neither can win.

It was important that both Kirk Langer and Mahdi Anharo played their parts with utter seriousness. Whereas the mediator, Kevina Sophia Lazari, could be fully aware of the situation and exploit it. That was it. The whole movie. The actors loved it, and once we had clearly established the dynamic between the three of them, my job was just to sit back and enjoy watching them play off each other.

The code word “fire” plays a significant role in the film. Can you elaborate on the significance and symbolism behind the rise of this catchphrase in relation to one’s weapon? What message or commentary were you aiming to convey through its inclusion?

The Disputants began as just a small exercise in film school. “Here’s two hours, here’s some equipment, now go tell a story.” But for me, there is indeed a deeper commentary. It’s a story about the conventions and absurdities of a bygone age, through which I hope to draw people’s attention to some of the conventions and absurdities of our own. The duellists hold the idea of honor as more important than life itself, leading them to some absurd actions. We have other ways of gaining honor in society today, but we do some equally absurd things.

The cinematography, background music, and sound effects in the film contribute to the overall immersive experience for the audience. Can you discuss the creative decisions made and how they were intended to enhance the viewers’ engagement with the story?

Certainly. As alluded earlier, we only had two hours to make this movie, so simplicity was the key. Simplicity in story beats, in motivations, and in staging. Two people want to kill each other, another wants to rob them. They all basically stand in a triangle the whole time. They do this because they have to, but it also makes it very efficient to shoot.

One thing I love about it is that the music is telling a serious story the whole time. Even as the situation gets more and more ridiculous, musically it remains staunch and dark, like the duellists themselves. To me, this made things even funnier. Thankfully, I had a library of many hours of Wagnerian Opera from my older attempts at serious drama that I could repurpose in this satire.

Our production and costume designers did a fantastic job as well. Even though on the surface we were just doing a little exercise in film school, everyone on the team went all out, and I’m proud of that.

Thank you Malibu!