Cramming is a beautiful exploration of a single moment that throws the friendship of two boys into complete chaos. Alex and Yan Bo are waiting for their final assessment to begin. While the former has clearly worked towards it, the latter is confirming the span of the syllabus meant for the test only a few minutes ahead of it. However, the result of the assessment reveals that one of them has copied all the answers from the other. While the viewer can easily ascertain who copied from whom, the teachers, and the disciplinary committee they have put together, are as far from this clarity as one can be.
On the face of it, the premise of the film is fairly direct and simple, but it is indeed the simplest stories that carry the deepest meaning and message. Cramming is a perfect example of the same. For the viewer, it brings to life a marked delineation of an instance that can serve as a memory that perhaps each of them would be able to relate to, one that comes carrying strong links to their own past of nervousness, anxieties and stress before an important examination. Additionally, the meticulous attention to detail that the film pays to this moment, allows it an authenticity that enables the story an undeniable connect with the audience.
The film is subtle, but powerful and lucid in every intention that it communicates for the viewer, acquiring a freshness of tone, marked by the most effortless and unexpected moments of humor. It further brings to life a nuanced, but potent conversation on prejudice and bias which prestigious institutions exhibit in their treatment of pupils, a form of stereotyping and inert discrimination that stems, and unfortunately often trickles down, from the adults and the custodians of power themselves, as opposed to the children who are yet to be inducted entirely into society. As for our two lead characters, they exhibit vastly different personalities, expertly pronounced by the filmmaking approach of Dan Perlman, to infuse a deeply enriching layer to the story, ensuring that the viewer is as invested in the fate of their friendship as the characters themselves.
On the whole, the film raises important questions about interpersonal dynamics, the nature of friendship which can range from unbreakable to extremely fragile depending upon its handling, the manner in which bias operates in society, leading to the Othering of an unsuspecting, reticent child, how two people with contrasting personalities can be drawn to each other. In its engagement with these aspects, the narrative does not bog itself down with bombastic or didactic views. Among its other strengths, it is notably in this that the success of Cramming lies.
Read LessOn the face of it, the premise of the film is fairly direct and simple, but it is indeed the simplest stories that carry the deepest meaning and message. Cramming is a perfect example of the same. For the viewer, it brings to life a marked delineation of an instance that can serve as a memory that perhaps each of them would be able to relate to, one that comes carrying strong links to their own past of nervousness, anxieties and stress before an important examination. Additionally, the meticulous attention to detail that the film pays to this moment, allows it an authenticity that enables the story an undeniable connect with the audience.
The film is subtle, but powerful and lucid in every intention that it communicates for the viewer, acquiring a freshness of tone, marked by the most effortless and unexpected moments of humor. It further brings to life a nuanced, but potent conversation on prejudice and bias which prestigious institutions exhibit in their treatment of pupils, a form of stereotyping and inert discrimination that stems, and unfortunately often trickles down, from the adults and the custodians of power themselves, as opposed to the children who are yet to be inducted entirely into society. As for our two lead characters, they exhibit vastly different personalities, expertly pronounced by the filmmaking approach of Dan Perlman, to infuse a deeply enriching layer to the story, ensuring that the viewer is as invested in the fate of their friendship as the characters themselves.
On the whole, the film raises important questions about interpersonal dynamics, the nature of friendship which can range from unbreakable to extremely fragile depending upon its handling, the manner in which bias operates in society, leading to the Othering of an unsuspecting, reticent child, how two people with contrasting personalities can be drawn to each other. In its engagement with these aspects, the narrative does not bog itself down with bombastic or didactic views. Among its other strengths, it is notably in this that the success of Cramming lies.
In the film, I wanted the kids to take center-stage and immerse in the environment of a prep school - which I lived through as a kid. I saw my friends, POC kids, “othered” more by supposedly-progressive administrators than by the students.
The “cramming” reflects the heightening pressure of the otherness in this prestigious prep school that both Alex and Yan Bo have to face (in different ways). Their otherness bonds them, protects them from their surroundings, but for all the talk of intersectionality, ultimately, their pressurized institution forces a ‘divide and conquer’ mentality that turns them against one another.
We overcame a lot of hurdles to make “Cramming”. We were working with children, non-actors, during the school year, filming primarily in a local NYC school on borrowed time, and shot our final scene on a crowded NYC subway in Manhattan. Everyone delivered and performed so beautifully, and I'm so proud of what we created together. “Cramming” will always be very special to me.
The “cramming” reflects the heightening pressure of the otherness in this prestigious prep school that both Alex and Yan Bo have to face (in different ways). Their otherness bonds them, protects them from their surroundings, but for all the talk of intersectionality, ultimately, their pressurized institution forces a ‘divide and conquer’ mentality that turns them against one another.
We overcame a lot of hurdles to make “Cramming”. We were working with children, non-actors, during the school year, filming primarily in a local NYC school on borrowed time, and shot our final scene on a crowded NYC subway in Manhattan. Everyone delivered and performed so beautifully, and I'm so proud of what we created together. “Cramming” will always be very special to me.
Dan PerlmanDirector, Cramming
HAVE YOU MADE A FILM?
