Shorts to put on

A handful reviews of online short films of the naked persuasion

The Muse of San Francisco

Thanks to my current day job, I don’t have a lot of time for movies like I once did. It can be frustrating, especially given how much I enjoy finding and reviewing nudist films. However, over the years I’ve come across quite a few short films, all under a half hour, which can really scratch the itch to watch something without requiring a lot of schedule juggling. Here’s a selection of shorts that you can watch right now at no cost if you’d like! 🚀

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The Muse of San Francisco (2016)

The Muse of San Francisco, directed by Katrine Holmgren, is a brief look into the life of Linda Martinez, model and actress. At 79 years old during the documentary, Martinez was a frequent collaborator with underground filmmaker George Kuchar, often acting in student films made for his classes taught at the San Francisco Art Institute. In her own college years, she was a nude art model, though she’s perfectly fine getting undressed in front of the camera in her old age as well. Martinez is full of personality, dominating this documentary and often suggesting to the director what to shoot and how to shoot her. She dresses up in costumes she’s made herself to go out on the town, stops for pictures with strangers, poses nude in the shower, and more. There’s not a lot of substance here, but it’s a fun little look into the life of a woman who loves what she does and has so much vitality at her age. I tried looking up more on her, but as of writing this cannot find anything, sadly. 🚀

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Schleiertanz AKA The Veil Dance (1907)

This one’s a little different. Austrian director Johann Schwarzer founded the Saturn-Film company in 1906 in order to produce adult films for men, all showcasing nude women in some form or fashion. These were considered erotic back in the day, and his company was forcibly shut down in 1911 by police because of this, but by today’s standards they’re pretty quaint and mostly inoffensive. At only 40 seconds long, the Veil Dance is a simple, single shot of a nude woman dancing with a veil and a smile on her face outdoors while three other women watch. I chose this one because it always happily reminds me of the times my figure drawing group has gotten to meet on a private farm for outdoor sessions, where some of us inevitably wind up dancing together nude. The Internet Archive has around 20 or so of Schwarzer’s films, and while I’ve only watched a few of them, this one is without a doubt my favorite because of how it brings back those memories. 🚀

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Nudist Beach (2017)

Written and directed by Stephen Trumble, Nudist Beach is a cute short about two strangers running into one another at an empty nude beach on a chilly, windy day. Neither are fully ready to admit why they’re there, to themselves or to each other. It’s simple, but sweet. 🚀

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Studies on Hysteria (2013)

Written and directed by Bernd Faass, Matthias Bäuerle, and Gabriel Borgetto, this short is about a man living in a nudist community who discovers pants left behind by a couple of mysterious women while on a hike in the woods. After a close examination, he starts wearing them out in public, and chaos ensues. I highly recommend watching through the credits on this one, as there’s a pretty funny bonus scene. 🚀

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Hope you enjoy these shorts! Let us know what your favorites are! 🪐