Chicken (short film)
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| Chicken | |
|---|---|
 Mick and Kev look at each other while a train passes behind |
|
| Directed by | Barry Dignam |
| Produced by | Barry Dignam |
| Written by | Audrey O'Reilly |
| Starring | Darren Healy Niall O'Shea |
| Cinematography | Peter Robertson |
| Editing by | James Finlan |
| Release date(s) | 2001 |
| Running time | 3 min |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Chicken is a 2001 three-minute Irish short film directed by Barry Dignam about the way adolescent males sometimes redirect their feelings of affection for each other into often violent or competitive activities such as games of chicken.
Mick (Darren Healy) and Kev (Niall O'Shea) spend an evening near railroad tracks by the seaside where Mick teaches Kev how to "shotgun" beer for reasons then unknown to the viewer. He observes that Kev is "a bit of a wuss" after he fails to replicate the proper shotgunning technique and calls for Kev to come sit close to him for a test of courage which involves stabbing a knife between outstretched fingers at an ever-faster rate. The game is usually played with one person's hand at a time and as a gesture of what may be seen as self-sacrifice, Mick puts his hand over Kev's in order to shield Kev's hand from the brunt of an injury should it occur.
When a train speeds by them, Mick accidentally cuts Kev and himself very slightly with the knife. They clasp each other's hands tightly and Mick, who suddenly seems very insecure and in need of affection is lovingly embraced by Kev, who perhaps has known all along why Mick brought him here.
The title of the short film is a double entendre, since "chicken" is also a slang term for a young homosexual.
The short won, among others, a Special Jury Award at the Newport International Film Festival and an Audience Award at the Dublin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
