Dylan Friese-Greene Captures Decay in Short Film ‘A Frog Sits In Water’
Dylan Friese-Greene
If you drop a frog into boiling water, it will immediately jump out to escape. But if you place it in cold water and slowly heat it, the frog won’t perceive the danger and will remain still until it boils to death… or so goes the apocryphal tale.
The story of the amphibian slowly simmering towards its demise lays the foundation for filmmaker Dylan Friese-Greene’s latest short, A Frog Sits In Water. Lasting just five minutes and eighteen seconds, the piece is mesmeric in parts: a thought-provoking and disquieting commentary on society’s collective ignorance or apathy in a world that seems to be rapidly coming to the boil. Flawless framing, precise visual details, and the interplay between ambient sounds and the narrator’s pensive voice, have seen the film draw international attention and widespread critical acclaim.
Originally a poem by Friese-Greene, the work evolved into a short experimental film. Dylan Friese-Greene describes the piece as “exploring human complacency in the face of disaster.” Set during an all-consuming heatwave, the film follows a lone figure spiraling into psychosis as the world boils and rots around him.
Gal Go’s saxophone performance is flawless, while Kojaque’s voice blends in so perfectly that it sends chills down your spine. Both musician and actor deliver masterful performances, embodying a character who literally melts away without resistance, much like the mentioned frog.
Known for his lo-fi aesthetic, handcrafted animations, and precise narrative rhythm, Friese-Greene once again proves that the power of cinema doesn’t always rely on big budgets but on vision. In A Frog Sits In Water, everything speaks of heat, decay, and stillness. A neglected apartment, fans spinning without relief, steam rising as a forewarning. The camera observes without intervening, zooming in on details that reveal the texture of skin, the glimmer of sweat, or the bubbling water of a battered pot.
The result is both hypnotic and brutal. Friese-Greene manages to make the viewer feel the heat, trapped in the same inertia as the character, while the saxophone’s sound becomes both a plea and a requiem, a final solo that fades as the protagonist melts away, leaving the instrument on the floor.
The piece, already featured by Director’s Library, adds to a portfolio of works including collaborations with the likes of musicians Cian Ducrot, Jordan Rakei, and Lucy Rose. Friese-Greene has also brought his visual sensibility to projects exhibited at Soho Photography Quarter alongside artists such as legendary photographer Siân Davey.
In under six minutes, A Frog Sits In Water condenses a contemporary parable of a world slowly falling apart while we keep looking the other way. Dylan Friese-Greene captures catastrophe and turns it into a synaesthetic experience where beauty and decay coexist—just like life itself.