Freedom of Expression | Short Film Nominee

Short Film Nominee December 6, 2021

Freedom of Expression

By Vishaal Desai with 5.9

drama · Short Films · english

Located within the dystopic reality of Monochrome, a world where colors have ceased to exist, the short narrative attempts an engagement with the ideas of censorship. The theme has specific relevance in a world where autocratic forces are on the rise all over the world. The story borrows from contemporary reality, but also from the past and its ideas of totalitarianism with Fahrenhein 451 by Ray Bradbury as one of the inspirations behind it.

The protagonist, Mauve, a painter, inhabits a society where the goverment has released graysenthol in the air, a chemical which robs the world of all its colors, quite literally, leaving him with only memories of what once was. With a near-complete absence of dialogue, the narrative still makes its core idea clear in the first few minutes itself when a radio broadcast extols the many benefits of uniformity for it inadvertently implies zero conflict as well.

As artists are silenced within the realm of Freedom of Expression, a comment is further made about the strength and revolutionary nature of art in holding a mirror to an extremely problematic society. The short narrative shows a sincere desire to share its story, even if losing points in the manner of execution. The thought, and the heart, of the final result is on point and in place, it would be interesting to see more deviations from the manner in which they are portrayed by the team in future endeavors.
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