Severus Snape and the recut of the Harry Potter movies

I love fan edits. I’m a strong believer in the idea that a work of art does not become rigid and untouchable when released, but remains alive and malleable for as long as we allow it to be. They’re always messy, and often incompetent, but they’re just the right kind of thankless DIY passion projects to get me defending them at every turn. Plus, they’re educational!

This short YouTube video recuts the events of the Harry Potter movies from Snape’s perspective, completely changing the story, putting entire scenes in new and different contexts. It’s both an enjoyable short film in and of itself, and an interesting look at how editing is used to build meaning. Harry Potter’s storytelling is essentially a series of carefully constructed mysteries and reveals of character motivation, and this video lays bare that importance of how foreknowledge changes our reaction to events on screen.

If you have any other interesting examples of fan edits or recuts, then please leave them in the comments!