Insightful, sharp and subtle are the three words that most aptly describe the documentary film and its subject matter. The execution is calm and exhibits a maturity that allows it to be an impactful product without demanding attention vociferously. The film engages with a needle exchange facility in California that also gives basic medical aid and assistance to those whose bodies have been affected by substance abuse. The narrative succeeds at being calm, yet deeply forceful in making its point simply because it does not strive for an overarching meaning for its existence, but instead tells its truth as it is. The subject is powerful, the story hard-hitting. The camerawork is simple, but precisely what this particular story needs. The images are chosen intelligently to allow the narrative to disconcert the viewer without being sensationally graphic. It further engages with health and survival with the right balance of being clinical and non-participatory, yet sensitive. Staying completely honest and sincere to a particular event or occurrence makes it all the more poignant and moving which is what The Clinic achieves most effortlessly. Through an objective representation of an aspect of the society we inhabit, it provides a meaningful narrative about life and existence.

The Clinic | Short Film of the Day

‘Gomorrah’ invokes the Biblical city of sin in its title which serves as a fitting metaphor for the reality unfolding before us. We are presented with a space of debauchery and excesses of all kinds where everyone, but more so the protagonist, is eternally damned and tied to this dismal fate. 

The first-person narrative paints for the viewer a world of substance abuse where all that matters is the next hit, and its potency to drown everything else that once was right until that moment. As the Virgil-esque protagonist, Francis Dykes, leads the viewer into this particular Hell, he is also allowed a moment of intimacy and affection, fleeting as it might be, amidst the despair. 

Gorgeous cinematography, lovely background score, and top-drawer performances put together the film for the viewer. The writing invokes a very brutal, visceral realm located inside a metaphorical heap of rubbish, to borrow an analogy from Francis’ monologue. It does an adept job of portraying the desire to disappear, the self-hate, dread of existence, alongside an unabashed, fierce look into the world of addiction.

Gomorrah | Short Film of the Day

‘Mirage’ is a skilfully executed film, free-flowing and effortless in the visual progression of the events. The story talks of love, intimacy, betrayal, and infidelity. However, the most important of all the entities on the emotional spectrum of the film is nostalgia, something that acquires a substantial presence within the narrative in the form of a drug that allows you to revisit the joys of the past when you take it. 

Adam and Loli navigate the many complexities of their relationship which seems on the brink of collapse, and the film comes into being. The performances and screenplay support it notably, presenting a young filmmaking voice with immense promise. 

Addiction, memory, intimacy, and the fallout of deep love turning into deep hurt all unite as one in this endeavor which remains heartfelt throughout. The question that remains central to the narrative, however, is — can drowning yourself in the thought of what once was, save you from the consequences of your actions in the swiftly unraveling present?

Mirage | Short Film of the Day

Mental health has made significant inroads into our cinema and art, and this film goes ahead to prove the same. Potentially triggering for those who battle mental health issues on a regular basis, the film is a literal and metaphorical representation of a man's struggle to grapple with his own internal demons. As the protagonist tries to take transitory comfort in substance abuse and drown the voices in his head in alcohol, the film holds the potential of being relatable for several viewers in the same age group as him. The strongest aspects of Lost in Oblivion are definitely it's performance and camerawork, both working arduously to make the story work. Succeeding at it, the various elements of the narrative come together to invoke an urgent concern - the absolute need to acknowledge and address the mental health concerns of a huge part of contemporary society.

Lost in Oblivion | Short Film of the Day

Trigger warning: self-harm 

‘Flash/Crash’ is an intimate exploration of trauma, loss and the grief that gets left behind in its wake. All of these complex emotional states are tied with substance abuse and addiction, to paint a world that is initially marked by dreariness. 

The film thus maps a trajectory from the bleakness of despair to perhaps what could be an eventual attainment of hope and a new lease of life. Whether or not the protagonist is capable of achieving it becomes one of the core concerns of the plot, with the answer being pronounced alongside the film’s message at the conclusion. 

The tight, hand-held shots enable the narrative to present a heartfelt portrayal of the intimacy invoked at the start while giving the viewer a hard, long look at the realities of primarily two characters. Both performances are defined by skill, in the process, ensuring that the film achieves completion in a lucid, seamless manner.

Flash/Crash | Short Film Nominee

‘Adderall Cowboy’ paints a world with a predominance of pink, and linked colors, in the palette. As a space of luxury and softness comes to mind, the reality it represents is far from that. 

A charming protagonist introduces us to her professional endeavors, the business of peddling drugs to teenagers. She likes to indulge herself in long baths and self-care routines, all along funding her preferences with money earned from enabling young, impressionable minds into getting consumed by substance abuse. 

The film is especially notable in the leanness it employs for sharing all this. Its elements are few, but completely sufficient for fulfilling the job of critiquing a crumbling society. A single character within the walls of a single room help this reality unfold, ensuring that the ideas are presented with a sustained approach of frugality - of dialogue, characters and the physical space conjured before you.

Adderall Cowboy | Short Film of the Day

The setting of the film is simple, two women sitting across from each other, enjoying a cup of coffee. They discuss mundane things like haircuts and their taste for caffeine, but only at first. Very soon the conversation turns to far darker things that include addiction, abuse and complex familial equations. While on the face of it, things seem benign and harmless, more complicated undercurrents are at play right under the surface. The film becomes a sincere attempt to bring to life all of these concerns, as it peels of its layers gradually, one after another. The narrative intends to introduce you to a moment, an exchange marked by tension, stress, the suggestion of a dark past and some hard truths which, like the coffee, can sometimes be a little too bitter. It is all of these sentiments that the plot eventually leaves the viewer with.

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