Crude Oil is the most bizarre splash of colours, amalgamation of sounds and tying together of visuals. It is glorious in its surrealism and the many hues and shades it employs to share its story with the viewer. Essentially, the film is about female friendships and the potential toxicity they can harbour. It is also about superpowers, useless or useful, but definitely made pointless when they are put to use to end FOMO or get extra olives on a pizza. The narrative does wonders with its edit and sound, ensuring that the viewer is in for a dreamy ride (disconcerting or not). It gives visual representation to memories, thoughts and anxiety, allowing you to be an intricate part of the protagonist's experience. The film also offers a portrayal of controlling relationships and the potency of realisations. As the protagonist completes a journey of struggling with ideas of self-worth, facing the nature of her relationships with seemingly the two most important people in her life and finally realising the horizon of possibilities before her in an angry outburst, the film proves to be a deeply involving interaction significantly unique and refreshing in its tone and approach.

Crude Oil | Short Film of the Day

Based on a short story by Stig Dagerman, The Man Who Wouldn't Cry is a wonderful union of pastel colors, satire, absurdity, the skewed standards of society, and a hapless protagonist who finds himself at the receiving end of it all.
After the passing of a famous actor, Henrietta, an ad agency is consumed by their public (and perhaps borderline histrionic) display and expression of grief. To the viewer, this expression remains markedly superficial and disingenuous, meant more as a performance and outward appearance than bona fide sorrow.
 Martin, an illustrator at this agency, does not subscribe to the said practice. Needless to say, this does not sit well in a world that is determined to make everyone part of the same herd, be it in the form of social media opinions, or the reputation of an ad agency which eventually comes to pivot on Martin's grief (or the lack of it thereof). 
 As the film portrays all of these thematic concerns, it comes to exhibit unique storytelling and a refreshing, exciting approach. There is further a mirror held up to those disconcerting aspects of society that are so resolved to make someone grieve, a man who is deeply uncomfortable with sharing his emotions in the presence of others, that they indeed force him to the point of tears, albeit for reasons far beyond their comprehension. The world of the film is beautifully constructed, with each performance exhibiting finesse and sophistication. This is tied with the dreary reality of Martin's world, not vastly different from our own of social media updates and online documentation, delineated through the choice of fun, perky shades, but those that only serve to accentuate the contrast between Martin's internal and external reality further.

The Man Who Wouldn't Cry | Short Film of the Day

Right at the onset, with simply its title, the film sets the tone for several ideas pertaining to identity, beauty, and how we perceive ourselves, while also hinting at insecurities. 'Mirror' does not present a straightforward approach to these ideas, and instead, leaves it up to the viewer to make what they will of this tale which is marked by humor, unexpected moments of tension, and the plight of the protagonist amidst it all. 

Strange messages have been appearing on people’s mirrors all over the world, messages of encouragement, validation, and support. And yet, Dale’s message is far from that, it’s more of an attack on his personality. As he grapples with its meaning, the story takes the viewer down some very interesting paths. 

Is the film about Dale’s struggle with intimacy, and how he eventually overcomes it in an unexpected manner? Or is it a story of his deep unease with his own body, and its desires and wants, not without its undercurrents of homoeroticism, and is it only when he is able to make peace with all of it that a negative message finds a positive articulation in his life as well as the film? Or is it about none of this but an underlying threat of violence that takes him to a disconcerting corner, to an experience that he has sanitized for worldly consumption, giving people what they want to hear? 

The film raises all of these questions and answers none, and it is in these grey areas that it attains completion and becomes an entertaining, involving endeavor in storytelling.

Mirror | Short Film of the Month

When a disillusioned, overworked production assistant finds himself in the most unlikely situation one day, a story belonging to the realm of the absurd begins to unfold. ‘Mayonnaise’ presents a world which starts off as being extremely authentic to the space of a film set, more specifically, a food commercial, but soon devolves into a ride the viewer has just not seen coming. 

Once again, filmmaker Eli Spiegel’s (‘Stain’) voice and tonality dominates, presenting Sam’s bleak perspective regarding his career prospects, and his turning to Sarah, a young but seemingly successful producer on the commercial, in an impatient bid to figure out some sort of a career trajectory for himself. 

The first and the second half of the film, however, come across as disparate parts, unable to present a lucid link that ties them cohesively. Though the approach of the film is unique in its absurdity, it might leave some viewers wanting for a better cause and effect equation within the narrative. Either way, the end result remains deeply entertaining, brought to life with finesse as well as commendable performances and effortless chemistry between the actors.

Mayonnaise | Short Film of the Day

The film opens with a terrible development, the sudden and tragic death of Noah’s wife while doing the most mundane, ordinary task. When Noah continues to pretend like she never died and goes ahead with life as usual, the narrative swiftly changes in tonality and approach to present a story marked by the absurd, and in the process, the darkest humor. 

Though humor might have nestled itself within the circumstance, it is denial, grief, longing, and the resultant rejection of letting go that become the primary preoccupation of the film. The storytelling shows promise, prompting the possibility of a longer project of a similar tenor.

 
At the same time, the film’s brevity allows it to sustain itself, without losing its impact or becoming farcical. The employment of the fixed space, competent performances, and visual grammar ensure that it successfully communicates all of this in a lasting way, resounding its core message first established in the title.

All Things Must End.  | Short Film of the Month

The film is a wonderful union of a little bit of humor, and a little bit of the absurd, sprinkled with an endearing message about kindness. On the day when the story opens, the protagonist wakes up to find the words “your welcome” imprinted on his forehead in stubbornly dark ink that refuses to budge no matter how hard he tries. 

From nail salons to car washes to his own aggressive scrubbing - nothing really works. Right when he is at the end of his rope, exhausted and given up, something unexpected happens. 

The film thus evidences a sweet tenderness at its core, combined with an unexpected act of endearment, that ties it all together. Its approach remains direct and simple, albeit alongside an experimental tonality to its event progression, ensuring that each sentiment and idea, visual and emotional, employed within the final result is a success.

Your Welcome | Short Film of the Day

The world of The Meditater [sic] loves its potatoes and there are no two ways about it. With that out of the way, let's proceed. The audience is introduced to a nervous, unsure protagonist in Bennett, a fresh college graduate stuck in an abusive, unpaid internship. 

 As his financial woes continue to mount in the face of an exploitative job, and his living quarters confined to a dismal corner of his cousin's kitchen, some terrible developments await him in the face of seeking peace. The voice of his meditation app acquires an identity of its own, ensconcing itself deep within his mind, sharing instructions and suggestions even when Bennett is not plugged into his phone. The absurdity and ridiculousness of the suggestions, especially amidst rising tensions, only serve to echo one of the thematic concerns of the narrative - the futile attempts of holding it all together with a puny band-aid when the whole system is collapsing and bleeding profusely under systemic oppression of capitalist structures. 

 The pursuit of 'inner peace' in a world which deprives its young people of basic financial ability to secure a roof over their heads or buy something as simple as an ice cream ensures that the comment is loud and clear in its articulation. The portrayal is especially commendable in the manner in which it shares all of this with a generous sprinkling of humor. Without making itself overbearing, the film presents forth the comment, the role of the ubiquitous presence of potatoes within it, and all that they collectively mean for our hapless protagonist.

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