After experiencing Aftermath I sat down to watch this thinking I was in for another gross out horror-fest, but how wrong I was. Genesis couldn't be further away from the full on gore of Aftermath if it tried. Its just beautiful, simply beautiful. The use of Classical music (which Im not even a fan of) ebbs in and out like waves on a shore, and there's a point about half way through where some light choral music rises in the background almost bringing you to tears. I will watch this again for sure, and Im so pleased to have it in my collection. In a way Im glad this director returned with something to show hes not just a one trick pony trying to sicken people with controversial horror. Genesis surely is a recommended short for anyone into dark cinema or not.

This film is an interesting one- I'll start by saying I rented the DVD out of curiosity to see Aftermath, but I'm very glad this was included too. It's a haunting short film, and to see Pep Tosar in this role right after I watched his depraved Aftermath character is certainly interesting- this guy's a damn good actor. The film itself speaks about a man's obsession with his deceased wife- and it tells the story with no dialogue of any kind, just a series of images, many of which are very powerful and well structured. I particularly like the one where Tosar's character is midway through the transformation he undergoes in this movie and is staring across the room at the statue of his wife. Really a beautiful image. It's interesting because I was recently in a discussion where the proposition was put forth that the only way to immortality is to obsess over your work. In 'Genesis' the sculptor definitely obsesses... and as a result he is able to see his wife in the land of the living again, just before the last of his own flesh and blood hardens to stone. A very interesting motion picture.

When discussing the older works of director Nacho Cerdà, people exclusively always refer to "Aftermath" and never mention "The Awakening" or "Genesis". Okay, admittedly "Aftermath" had the groundbreaking gore and dealt with genuinely shocking subject matter of necrophilia, but "Genesis" is a far superior film and easily one of the most haunting & visually impressive short films I ever saw. Nacho Cerdà here approaches an entirely different aspect of death, namely the difficult process of accepting the loss of a loved one and move on. Due to the melancholic and dramatic themes of this film, it naturally isn't as gross and repulsive as "Aftermath", but instead an intense, harrowing and unforgettable portrait of a man whose mourning process for his departed wife eventually turns against him. Pep Tosar, who also was in "Aftermath", plays a clearly heart-broken husband/artist trying to get over the death of his wife by creating a sculpture that looks exactly like her. Flashbacks and nightmarish sequences indicate, however, that the husband may have been responsible for the car accident his wife died in and the statue soon becomes of flesh and blood while the sculptor's own body turns to stone. The atmosphere of "Genesis" is uniquely grim & saddening, also because there's simply one (or maybe two) characters in the film, one filming location and absolutely no dialogs. Even though it's a terrific film, its playtime of 30 minutes is actually a good thing, because it's incredibly intense. Xavi Gimenez' camera-work is brilliant – there's no other way to put it – and sublimely tasteful and stylish despite the subject matter. Cerdà's direction is perfect, the music is enchanting and the overall ambiance of the film literally sent cold shivers down my spine. Undoubtedly the best project Nacho Cerdà ever achieved, and that includes "Aftermath" and "The Abandoned".

After watching AFTERMATH - I didn't know what to expect from Nacho Cerda and GENESIS. I personally did not like AFTERMATH, not due to it being "disgusting" or "shocking", but because I just didn't get the point. I feel that AFTERMATH has been severely over-hyped due to it's subject matter, and that while it was a beautifully shot film, it just didn't have anything going for it, in my opinion. Not so with GENESIS - although the subject matter was not nearly as controversial, and there is very little in the "gore" department, GENESIS is one of the most well put together, hauntingly beautiful films I've ever seen. Not only is the camera-work itself crisp and clear, but the score and sound FX are absolutely perfect. The short centers around a man (Pep Tosar from AFTERMATH)whose wife is killed in an auto accident. He lovingly recreates her in sculpture, and the sculpture begins to come alive. As the sculpture of his wife begins taking on flesh and blood, the sculptor himself begins to turn to stone. GENESIS is not a "horror" film in the strict sense of the word. It is more a tragic love story dealing with themes of life,love, loss and death. I really don't know what to say about it, other than it is a real gem of a film and shows what a great director Cerda can be if approaching the right subject matter. Even though I personally was not at all impressed with AFTERMATH, GENESIS on the other hand is a masterpiece of a short film and makes me really want to see what Cerda will do next. Highly recommended 9 1/2 out of 10