It is a regular day for Rudy, an incarcerated felon in a high-security prison, who is behind bars serving a life sentence for brutal crimes against women. Without dwelling on the details, and simply working with suggestions instead, which do more than an adequate job of constructing the narrative, 'Prisoner #1616' presents itself to you. 

A researcher, Monica, has come to the prison to interact with Rudy, and confirm a theory she has been working on regarding human DNA. The dance of the power dynamics between the two characters, as they blur lines between the protagonist and the antagonist, is truly a joy to watch. 

The conversation that unfolds ensures the viewer’s attention is glued to the screen throughout, lest they miss even the slightest detail. DNA and music, a song, memories, and the past, science and reincarnation, all of them are invoked to conjure the world of the film, and what a world it is. Marked by smooth performances, neat visuals and a gripping storyline, the film refuses to let even a single moment slip, building tension and taking the viewer as well as the characters down a path of no return.

Prisoner #1616  | Short Film of the Month

A misty, winter wasteland is the viewer’s first introduction to the film’s world. The image that it invokes is of a liminal space defined by its eeriness. It's further coupled with an intrinsic beauty that lends it a strangely atmospheric quality. Amidst it all is located an unnamed protagonist who is lost, and plagued by strange lights in the sky. As he attempts to find his way, the path only gets more and more mysterious and circuitous. 

The screenplay is beautiful in the construction of this space, alongside its two primary performances - our hapless, confused protagonist, and a woman’s presence in the center of a non-descript realm consumed by darkness all around her. Further, the title of the film is thoughtfully chosen - does it refer to a phone call? Does it refer to the strange space the protagonist is unable to make sense of? It serves to deliberately nestle these questions within the narrative. 

The establishment of the world is achieved with such impact that the short in its current form offers a premise for a longer film. It has all the right elements to capture the viewer’s attention. Taking us deeper into its world would help to expand on the narratorial construction which already presents deep potential, skill, and ease in everything that it wants to convey.

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