The film checks off all the right boxes in terms of writing, performances and the manner in which the narrative holds itself together. It’s the story of two former lovers, meeting to return each other their things. What they say is in direct contrast to what is truly on their mind or what they wish to communicate to each other. Films, especially of a shorter duration, have attempted to convey the same sentiment previously, yet In Other Words brings to the screen a sensitivity and vulnerability which can be attributed primarily to its strong writing. The film is subtle in all manners of the word, another notable aspect since the emotions it manages to convey are of the raging category, one that applies to perhaps violent delights and their violent ends. All of it is wrapped together and presented to the viewer in the form of a beautiful viewing experience using soft colour palettes and an even softer background score. There are no loud camera angles or wasteful use of space. The script is tight, relatable and brings to life a situation rehearsed and performed several times in a person’s life, and still, no less painful.

In Other Words | Short Film of the Day

The short film, devoid of any extravagance, is a poignant, subtle and nuanced exploration of a distinct kind of unease; one of a first date between an immigrant Afghan woman and a second generation Afghan man, meeting each other for an arranged marriage. Though awkward and marked by long pauses at the start, the conversation soon begins to pick momentum between Samira and Harun. However, a seemingly obtrusive trilling of the latter's phone breaks them out of their shared moment, perhaps suggesting the stark differences of their lived realities despite the overlaps that exist. As longing for a homeland that has been left behind comes to predominate the narrative, there is also a reminder for the viewer that the two characters are struggling to come to terms with the situation they have found themselves in. The film wonderfully explores an interaction with a new culture, an act often fraught with tension and anxiety. A quiet celebration of identity, it is also a moving delineation of two strangers who, while grappling with alien territory, also try to find some form of comfort and solace in each other.

Our Kind of Love | Short Film of the Day

Sexual encounters and the awkwardness of first times are no new subjects or thematic concerns for a short film, and neither are stories of queer characters, slowly making their presence felt more and more with every passing day. However combining both to talk about the newness of a sexual experience between two characters who don't conform to heteronormativity, without falling prey to the trap of glorifying it or imbuing it with a tone of tragedy, is indeed a unique approach of crafting a narrative. It is precisely in this manner that Dirty infuses a fresh breath of air in the storytelling space by exploring a mundane reality, one unfortunately not engaged with enough, and simply presenting it forth without ostentation or unnecessary emotional devices. Consequently, the film's concerns are not positioned using the self and the 'Other' binary, or juxtaposed by employing heterosexuality against homosexuality, or by pivoting the plot on any such contrast. Instead, it takes the viewer into an encounter of two young queer high-school students, one more inexperienced than the other, and the hesitation, confusion, and an unexpected situation that ensues thereafter. Additionally, it is this dedication and meticulous attention by a story to its intentions that allow it a universality and authenticity, as Dirty goes ahead to exhibit. It is also in this that lies the normalisation of a situation without ever explicitly spelling it out.

Dirty | Short Film of The Day

The film turns out to be the most comforting, warmth-inducing balm for a cold, scared heart. As Fran goes about life, unable to make the desire to die and end her life go away, she also finds herself taking fancy to a colleague. When she finds Robert reciprocate the attraction, their story develops in the most calm manner, exploiting its economy of dialogues to the fullest. Both Sarbh and Wright-Mead bring a softness to the screen that is not easy to come by. In a sense the story indeed is a romance, but it's also so much more. It is a story about isolation and what can be potentially seen as melancholia and suicidal tendencies. It is about the nervousness and the fuzzies of a first date, as much as its about the awkwardness of new lovers and a failure to communicate affection despite all desire to do so. Consequently, with its gentle handling of the subject, marked more by silences than any noise that could mar its simple yet loud and clear style, the film becomes a beautifully crafted, sincerely executed piece of art that brings to the screen an evocative sense of endearment and tenderness.

sometimes, i think about dying | Short Film of the Day

‘Brilliance’, marked by unmissable poetic and surrealist qualities, is simply a story of two high-school girls. However, it’s the treatment and portrayal of the said narrative that truly elevates it. 
The girls, aspiring painters and artists, while discussing their approach to art and linked goals, present metaphors that become the heart of the story. As they discuss self-portraits, and the revelations that they carry within, the characters speak of the many ways they are being stopped, or will eventually be stopped, from painting all that they desire. The question that then propels the narrative forward is that will they also be stopped from loving who they want, and as they want? 

It is in the implicit nature of this thought, loaded and moulded by uncertainty and chaos, that the act of painting becomes a metaphor for love. The ideas are further coupled with a beautiful background score, and heartfelt performances that thus bring the narrative home in a seamless manner.

Brilliance | Short Film of the Day

When a woman decides to indulge in a random hook-up outside a bar in freezing cold, she has little idea about what the night has in store for her. As a two-hour-long commute begins to the man's house, the mood of the hour goes from passion to an awkward and pronounced lack of conversation. The film employs skilful camerawork of both handheld and fixed shots to weave a narrative which is endearing and poetic at the same time. While the story might have begun on a note to give an impression of a regular romance, bordering on being run-of-the-mill, it unfolds to become something that engages the viewer deeply and leaves them wanting for more instead. The two characters find a space of comfort and warmth in the most unexpected manner, and the same can be said for the experience of the viewer as well. The narrative is further backed by the most appropriate soundtrack that succeeds at its purpose of enhancing the story and the misadventures of two strangers on a night that has perhaps brought them together in a lasting manner.

Long Branch | Short Film of the Day

While romance per se might seem like a go-to subject when it comes to filmmaking, truly capturing its essence is not the easiest task. Weaving a narrative with nuances, subtleties and poignance requires a skilfulness which Lavender exhibits. The story of a young boy getting involved in the marriage of an older couple in itself is a premise that requires mature and intelligent handling, which this film succeeds at achieving. It opens with a tight shot of a couple sitting at a piano, the perfect picture of love and affection. However, soon the idea of the normative, monogamous couple is disrupted by a third man who joins them, yet the scene continues in the most calm and undisturbed manner. Through its delineation of the equation of the three lovers, the film attempts a moving exploration of sexuality, emotions and boundaries, allowing it to be a quiet embrace for the viewer whose warmth and scent continues to linger long after it's passed and over.

Lavender | Short Film of the Day

If one were to make a proclamation of the kind that declares romance dead in an age of dating apps and the hook-up culture, it would find widespread support, even, and perhaps more so, by the participants and makers of this very culture. However, translating this reality to the screen space might not always be an easy task. Romance Language not only succeeds at achieving this, but also makes it look effortless and smooth while at it. The story is simple, it is of two strangers who meet at a bar, and then shift their rendevous to the empty apartment of one of the two parties, to find a way to cope with their own internal struggles through meaningless sex. While the story in itself is not entirely unique, the manner in which it is told is fun and entertaining. The actors and their convincing chemistry has a big role to play here, allowing the film to not only capture the very essence and sentiment of the meaninglessness of a random hook-up that might lead to a dysfunctional relationship, but also allowing the several aspects of the film to come together as one whole. As for the two characters, though the darkness might have been able to hide their deceptions from each other as well as themselves, where will they find their refuge in the brightness of the day?

Romance Language | Short Film of the Day

May is headed to a secluded cabin, ready to take some time by herself to practice lines for a potential job as an actor. However, her plans go awry when she realizes someone’s already at the cabin - Elliot, her recently-become-former-lover. 
Amidst the awkwardness, but also the obvious chemistry, the two try to navigate the situation the best way they can. While they may have met unexpectedly, will they rekindle the romance or will heartbreak define the future of this relationship? The question remains central to the narrative. 

There is a dedicated attempt to invoke a specific tonality and aesthetic in the portrayal of the events. The approach to all of this remains consistent throughout, even if showing a slight want of more smoothening out of wrinkles in terms of the overall production value of the final result. The film, nevertheless, should be appreciated for the blurring of boundaries and the emotional obscurity of an in-between space that is neither here, nor there. The narratorial engagement with this realm of uncertainty becomes the strongest aspect of the storytelling.

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