Rally driving may not be a common theme in filmmaking, but here at Short of the Week, it has carved out a unique niche. Nick Rowland’s Group B transported us to 1986, capturing the high-stakes ‘golden era’ of UK rallying, while Santiago Menghini’s Rally took a futuristic spin, following underground smugglers in a modified rally car through real-time animation. While both films use the rally backdrop for tension and thrills, today’s pick – Sierra by Sander Joon – takes a completely different route, delivering absurd humour at full speed.Though Sierra draws inspiration from key moments in the director’s life – watching an animation by his father (which even makes a cameo on the television in the film), learning to ride a motorcycle – it tells a universally relatable story about the generational divide between a child’s dreams and their parents’ expectations. True to Joon’s style, the film approaches these themes through a surreal, comedic lens, resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind viewing experience.Sierra tackles themes of parental expectations through the scenario of a father taking his son rally driving.Thrown into a car alongside a father and his inexperienced young son, we, much like the boy, are immersed in the rally scene with little preparation. Earlier, we see the child helping his mother in the greenhouse and playing with frogs, making it clear that this high-speed experience is his father’s attempt to toughen him up – or, as the tired cliché goes, “man-up” (a phrase I can’t stand). Things, of course, don’t go as planned. The boy is unexpectedly transformed into a tire – a surreal metaphor for “how parental influence can unintentionally bridal our ascent into adulthood”. Yet, despite the bizarre turn of events, the film reaches a strangely uplifting conclusion, both on-screen and off, with Joon sharing that after watching Sierra, his father was happier than he had seen him “in a long time”.While many filmmakers explore this generational divide through tension and conflict, Joon’s lighthearted approach is a breath of fresh air – delivering humor without sacrificing impact. A major part of Sierra‘s charm lies in its production, where exaggerated character design (like the boy’s oversized head and the father’s runaway moustache) and playful sound design amplify the film’s comedic energy. Following in the footsteps of Velodrool and Sounds Good, Sierra further cements Joon’s distinct talent. And with the director revealing in a Vimeo Staff Picks interview that he’s now working on his debut feature, Seagulls of Eden, we can’t wait to see what he creates with a longer runtime.