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.

The Meditater | Short Film of the Day

Florence is stuck in a dead-end job which has left her with a strange stress rash on her thigh, her body’s way of articulating, neigh, screaming in protest against the circumstance it has found itself trapped in when the reticent protagonist is unable to do so herself in her life. 

She carries the weight of this stress everywhere - to her home, dates, and even in bed, as the persistent rash continues to take all over her body. Alongside this is the unmissable image of a dream, the fantasy of soaking in the sun on a warm beach, a vision that remains as stubbornly recurrent in her life as the redness on her skin. 

The narrative does a notable job of juxtaposing the two, and in the process, presents an unmissable contrast. Florence is brought to life with an endearing vulnerability that not only makes us route for her passionately but also endows the story weaved around her a universality, an echo of companionship for anyone who might find themselves in equally disturbing situations. The writing and screenplay both work successfully in sharing all of this, and some more, with audiences.

Florence in Customer Care | Short Film of the Day

‘Rest’ is an experimental narrative that operates entirely within the realm of symbolism and metaphors. It presents to us a protagonist, dressed formally in the garb of a professional, perhaps even a perfect specimen of capitalism whose life is deeply embedded in profits, numbers and everything else the said existence entails. However, his surroundings are in complete contrast with his attire. He is not located within an office, but instead amidst an endless, vast expanse of barrenness, a desert that is loud and clear in the isolation it ushers in. 

The man is in pursuit of something, his redemption, the meaning of his existence, his raison d'être, or only some respite and rest, as the title echoes, from a burdensome life. The eventual culmination of this journey of endless, disappointing empty suitcases eventually leads him to a physical reality which is the very antithesis of the arid, infertile space before us. 
As the narrative comes full circle, the film succeeds in presenting its intended symbolism to you, simply by way of seamless visuals, devoid completely of any dialogue.

Rest | Short Film of the Day

‘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

‘Kamen’ is a brief glimpse into the rut a man is stuck in, something which could be the lived reality of anyone who finds themselves entrapped within a capitalist machinery of mundane, and perhaps even oppressive, repetition. The unnamed protagonist simply wears a mask to offer this sense of relatability to the viewer, to suggest his story could be the story of any viewer. 

Through his misadventure of missing a train, his desperation to catch it evident in the mad rush he makes after it in his formal attire, all of this is portrayed for the viewer. Locating the protagonist in an urbane reality, the message is driven home further. However, ensconced within all of these elements is an invincible moment of freedom, which is achieved by the smallest of actions, the narrative suggests. Notably, the entirety of the plot unfolds within an experimental space, while employing efficient visuals.

Kamen | Short Film of the Day

The short film endeavours a social commentary on the contemporary state of affairs in the US, soon branching out to how the same issues plague the whole world, and all of us collectively as a society. It spares no one in its sharp approach adopted to engage with the concerns. All of these views are presented forth while being veiled as a documentary that exists within a fictive space, one which has no qualms about revealing its intentions. It declares politicians and people in positions of power vampires who have recently come forward and revealed their true identity. 

 The blood-sucking demons of fantasy and folklore, thus, now become metaphors for those who are sucking the life force of society, financially and otherwise, leaving their victims lifeless or struggling to survive. The conversation ropes in several names to support the critique - from Oscar Wilde to Noam Chomsky to Rutger Bregman, to name a few. In the process, the viewer is left with an exhaustive engagement with capitalism, economic development and its ramifications on different sections of society, debt, profit - the nature, the burden and the curse of it all. 

 Though initially it might appear that despite the declaration of several exploitative forces and individuals to be vampires, the film maintains a tone of satirical objectivity, it soon makes it clear which side of the conversation it has located itself on. Citing the French historical drama La Commune (Paris, 1871) as one of its inspirations, Vampires, They Exist?! remains simple in its approach throughout, coming across as a sincere effort, albeit in need of a little more fine-tuning on the level of narrative construction, to tell its own individual story.

Vampires, They Exist?! | Short Film Nominee

A lifestyle of expensive cars, clothes and shoes comes at a cost, and the protagonist of the film seems to be struggling to pay it with her mental health. The opening scene of the story establishes a world of overworked employees, pulling long shifts late into the night. Their disheveled appearance and tired faces serve to further give us a glimpse into the story. 

Amidst this world of men in white shirts, stands a woman in her all-black attire. At the start of the film, we have already been given the suggestion of a loop, and the sense of entrapment that it invokes. We are soon presented with the same sense of repetition and the unbreakability of the said pattern, along with a blurring of lines between reality and illusion. 

The end result is a notable, dedicated attempt, even if marked by a little rawness with regards to control on its visuals. However, it still comes across as a worthwhile endeavor, paving the path for more similar storytelling in the future.

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