The documentary has a difficult premise - the nexus of art and war. However it achieves the most brilliant execution for it because what is war if not simply a dance between soldiers and civilians (as the film itself goes ahead to portray in one of its sequences). Exit 12 is about a dance company of the same name founded and now run by people most intricately connected with different wars the US has been part of over the last few decades. From Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, there is a glimpse into what they did to those who either fought in them at the front or participated as family members and loved ones of those who were in the line of fire. The dance sequences are weaved most effortlessly into the narrative. Other than being a display of exceptional skill and seamless visuals, they further succeed in delivering their bit of the story most poignantly. Using these, the film follows the experiences of three characters and how they use dance to make sense of their post-war reality. At the heart of the narrative is a moving question - when you are trained to kill, how do you come back and embrace your reality as a human? How does one reconcile the horrors of war with their day-to-day existence? Consequently, without spelling anything out explicitly, the film becomes an engagement with the post traumatic stress disorders veterans grapple with. Mental health and the desire to end one's own life find echoes for the viewer that are loud and clear. However, despite it all, there is a sense of hope and empowerment which is invoked at the idea of people coming together as a collective to share their experiences in an attempt to successfully assuage their pain. It is this idea of hope which finally ties the film together in a cohesive and comprehensive way allowing the intense emotional experience to be moving in a constructive manner.

Exit 12 | Short Film of the Day

Performed and recorded live at Phoenix Central Park, Sydney, Australia, The Fall by Genesis Owusu, brings to life a deeply personal conversation which, in the process, acquires a universality in its reach and the experience it presents to the audience. In a world where conversation around race and identity gains increasing relevance every day, the stunning music video invokes a discussion on the ideas of oppressive spaces, both within and without. 

We are hurled headlong into a realm that is marked by a protagonist who is held captive by tightly wound ropes. However, amidst the struggle to break free, his voice remains loud and clear, a gleeful, near-delirious grin never leaving his face. It is indeed in this visual that the narrative lays bare its primary thematic concern. It is also in this manner that the personal becomes political, allowing the vocals and the visuals to work in tandem with each other, rather than one triumphing or overpowering the other. 

 The video is especially notable for how it exhibits the creative range of Versus, evident in their usage of the same physical space as seen in a previous video ('Refracted' by Gordi), transforming it to tell a story completely different in texture and the intentions it communicates to the viewer. Consequently, while microphones, architecture, the overwhelming nature of art - all of them find an echo in the claustrophobic cornices, again, both physical and mental, the words "Get your hands off my mind...I cant breathe now", stay with you long after you're done interacting with 'The Fall'.

The Fall | Short Film of the Day

‘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

The film, marked by its sombre palette, is essentially a quiet, unrushed conversation that the protagonist is having with the viewer. As it comes into its own, the tone continues to grow in intimacy, imbuing the film with honesty and candour, thereby making its subject matter universal. The protagonist takes you along the circuitous route of his introspection as well as his interactions with the world without - invoking ideas of existentialism, nihilism, isolation, loneliness, and the manner in which he is located amidst this ongoing tussle between the several forces of consciousness. The film is a solo-project, and thus very evidently exhibits a consistency of vision and progression with regards to the narrative. Finally, it closes with the image of a fragment of a broken bridge, the entire structure destroyed. And yet, the protagonist continues with his work on a computer, as if his immediate reality is not a sight of immense destruction and upheaval, as if nothing has happened, for despite everything else, it is something to do, it is one more stab at making loneliness or simply existence, less overwhelming a proposition. He is flanked by two of his loyal companions (his past selves? emotional baggages?) who never leave his side, who now continue to work at the concrete and stone structure with their equipment, leaving you with the resounding question - are they rebuilding it or taking it down further?

Sometimes I Think About Things, and Sometimes I Get Sad | Short Film of the Day

The documentary introduces the viewer to the Hope Center for the Arts in California, USA. Established in 1979, the center is unique because of the manner in which it provides an art-based community for adults with intellectual disabilities. The narrative the film thus presents to the viewer is heartfelt and poignant, crisp in its brevity, and yet, lucid and comprehensive. 

Along with raising awareness about the center itself, and all the work that it has been doing, it further gives a glimpse into an entire community, their dreams and hope, but more than that, their talent and skill. It takes the form of a relevant story about a significant section of the population, which has been marginalized for a very long time with a single, dismissive stroke. 

All of this is painted for the viewer, without resorting to overt sentimentalism or maudlin storytelling in any form. It is indeed this characteristic which allows the film the necessary sensitivity and nuance to make its message impactful and empowering.

A Crack in the Universe | 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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