In a world that battles spiritual and moral decadence, excesses of the body and seemingly limitless debauchery, our protagonist Orfeo, acquires the role of a contemporary Dante Alighieri on a quest to comprehend the idea of freedom and the meaning of existence. The film is especially notable in the manner in which it brings all of these concerns to life employing skilled, seamless visuals and equally strong writing to not simply match, but also enhance them. 

As Orfeo progresses from one corner of the night to another, moving from a Hellish den of addictions and promiscuity, to an isolating cab ride and then to a sudden encounter with a stranger, the narrative invokes almost a sense of nyctophilia with its portrayal of the night and its darkness. However, the emotional or mental darkness that it could potentially signify is not a welcome thought, but one requiring analysis, and even the pursuit of an escape from it, if one is possible to begin with. 

The film is grim, but poetic in its exploration and engagement with the human condition. The thematic issues it deals with are disconcerting, a similar disorientation also conjured by way of its visuals, but alluring in their surreal beauty. Consequently, traversing this landscape marked by its carnal nature, and an inherent meaninglessness, also becomes an exercise in admiring the aesthetics of darkness, one which is broken and interrupted, albeit in a controlled manner, only by city lights, or by the brief warmth of companionship, as fleeting as it might be, or in the hope that nights are sometimes accompanied by glowing stars, and always by the hope of a morning that would follow soon after.

The Hermit in the Night | Short Film of the Day

The film is an intimate reflection of a very personal thought and approach to life that attains an unmissable universality in its portrayal. The narrative introduces us to Mirko, an artisan who has turned what was once a workshop for tools into a sanctuary of creativity. 

Moody shots take us into a world where the protagonist works with immense care and dedication to keep an art form alive. In his own words, he maps a movement “from artist to artisan”, by taking the viewer deeper into the innards of his workshop. This is further coupled with visuals of the outdoors, the fields, and forests that serve as his companions. 
The film's thoughtful screenplay, its controlled pacing, and the quietness of it all portray for the viewer a space of handicrafts, a realm that is deliberately slowed down in an age where everything - from fashion to food to the content we consume - is fast and instant. 

The subsequent narrative thus becomes a heartfelt reflection of a process that entails going back to the past to create something for the future, something that would last and endure the test of time, in the process, also pronouncing its title.

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