‘The Circle’ is a beautifully imagined film about the journey of an artist from repetition and mundaneness to something truly pathbreaking. It introduces the viewer to tattoo artist Herman Devyashin who takes us deeper into his struggle of what was once meaningful, inspiring, and almost spiritual in the experience of all these emotions. However, now it is only defined by futility and the emptiness of the whole process. 

Mapping his journey as an artist, Devyashin talks of the pitfalls of pursuing your art, something you deeply love and are entirely devoted to, up to a point where it stops giving the same emotional returns. The metaphor that the film presents by way of the protagonist is that of an unbreakable circle, a train track that haunts Devyashin’s dreams. To break out of this monotony, he now endeavors to employ augmented reality for his next project. This endeavor presents not only an interesting nexus of art and technology but also the promise of an unprecedented feat. 

The film embarks upon an ambitious journey of presenting all of these ideas with authenticity, finally reaching completion with fervor and passion. After opening with the memory of a dream, the narrative goes ahead to create a dreamscape of its own with the most wonderful employment of screenplay, editing, and background score. Alongside a meaningful glimpse into Devyashin’s art, the film's storytelling and artistic prowess are also pronounced in an understated, yet unmissable manner.

The Circle | Short Film of the Day

School principal Nina Valentinovna could not be prouder as she sits before an interviewer, sharing her thoughts for a news channel. She talks of her star pupil, Pyotr, a maths genius and a child with special needs. 

The principal extols her school’s values and how they train their students to always uphold them, while eschewing topics of conflict and social turbulence. However, as Valentinovna overlooks a crucial truth about the impact of a war and violence-ridden society on children, and how it translates into their own equations and dynamics, and instead only offers empty, clinical facts which might mean very little in the real world, another parallel reality is unfolding outside this interview. 

Young Max becomes a focal point in what follows, presenting a very incisive glimpse into how children operate within their spaces away from the adult world. A skilled screenplay that portrays this, coupled with expert performances that strengthen the film right till the very end, ensures that the narrative offers a hard-hitting commentary on innocence, and more shockingly, on the cruelty that can thrive within the same realm. The apathy of adults, or worse, their personal ambition mixed with casual indifference, further adds an emotional layer to the storytelling, all of which together present a story that is sure to stay with the viewer for a long time.

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