A painter finds himself overwhelmed by his memories and the past, which eventually begin to block his creative energies as well. It is primarily a conversation with these obstacles that come to form the main body of the film. Marked by its calm visuals, that effortlessly, and perhaps even consciously, steer clear of gaudiness and ostentation, the film thus becomes a quiet portrayal of a man's interactions with his grief over a seemingly recent loss. The film attempts several things - a delineation of an artist's process of creating something, the manner in which his past experiences tie up with it, the failure to let them find a voice on his canvas and the eternal battle to conquer them, both despite and because of personal tragedy. Pentimento, essentially aiming to convey the change an artist might make in the process of painting, achieves all of this through its seamless and elegant camerawork, further enhanced by sophisticated and convincing performances. All of these elements are finally tied together by poignant storytelling, allowing the film to be a wonderfully wholesome product.

Pentimento | Short Film of the Day

‘Le Miroir’ is a wonderful romance, magical in its visuals, storytelling as well as thematic concerns, with an otherworldly existence that two women lead. Mathilde and Madame B have both known love, loss and heartache, and now find the tragedies of the past an overpowering presence in their lives, one that shapes and molds all of their actions in the present. 

The portrayal of this premise is achieved with a stroke of fantasy, but as any enduring fantasy tale, very rooted in the real world, and in this case, one that is defined by grief, pain, and eventually finding one’s voice and the ability to use it. The movement of the narrative from the moment when Mathilde stops speaking following the death of her parents, to when she utters her first word, involuntarily and in the wake of an accident, forms the completed trajectory of its core underpinnings. 

At the heart of it all is the lovely motif of a mirror, along with both its fragility and resilience, and the unexpected paths it takes our protagonist on. The storytelling in itself is marked by a beautiful, shared female space, whip pans and sets which are any art department’s dream, further bringing to life the humor reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film, and an overall atmospheric quality of European cinema.

Le Miroir | Short Film of the Month

The title of the music video suggests a sense of being present, of truly living in the current moment, and yet the visuals invoke a far different story. It is in this inherent contrast that the plot comes into being, introducing the viewer to the protagonist's struggle of overcoming the chaos within.

 The visual treatment of these intentions is further marked by the creative flow of bodily movements, of employing dance to communicate the sentiment that defines the narrative. When it is coupled with soft vocals of the song, the final result is an engrossing story of a woman's relentless efforts to conquer the several elements that threaten to pull her back. As she wages a battle against all her internal demons, those that keep her from being in the present, to eventually be able to move on, Nowness makes its intentions clear. 

 Employing all of it as a notable metaphor, the video communicates to the viewer the overwhelming power of inhibitions imposed on the self as a result of the wrongs, pain and perhaps even trauma of the past, and yet, the constant fight against them, especially in a world that is only beginning to come out of a pandemic, further serving as a reminder of an insurmountable sense of hope.

Nowness | Short Film of the Day

'Reflections' is a quiet conversation with ideas of vulnerability, intimacy with the self, our relationship with the world around us, to name a few. As the narrative covers the entire spectrum of voices, all of them merge into one core idea - an understanding of the human experience. 

At the end of the day, each one of us is trying to ascertain our own place in the world, our purpose, the meaning (or the acceptance of the lack of it) of existence, and it is precisely this sentiment that the film invokes. 

It achieves the same by employing voices of of painters, puppet makers, people who work in fashion and like to be reminded of the warrior within, but the common thread that connects them all is that they are all creators, people who work with their hands to express and articulate their own truth in their own individual fierce, unabashed manner. The film is mellow, but emphatic and lucid, in its voice, succeeding at conveying to the viewer all that it has set out to at the onset.

Reflections| Short Film Nominee

The experience of being an artist is often more romanticized than perhaps any other profession or choice of life, leaving the darkness that comes to constitute it overlooked and ignored. The pursuit of creativity is marked by several obstacles, seemingly insurmountable in their appearance, and requiring exhausting effort to be overcome. The pain, that is an inevitable part of this process, is often portrayed as a badge of honor, for instance in the case of the mould of the tortured artist, seen as something to be reveled and gloried in. This whitewashing of an artist's struggles often keeps the world unaware of how isolating the experience of creating something can be, sometimes leaving them only with the voices and doubts in their head as a companion. 

 The short film is a lovely portrayal of all of these ideas, achieved by introducing us to the failed attempts of Olivia to create a painting that would justify her definition of greatness. As she grapples with one foiled attempt after another, the line between perseverance and self-sabotage is left blurred. The protagonist continues to slip deeper and deeper into the territory of self-destruction, entrapping herself within a web of her own thoughts. This metaphor finds a literal, physical representation in the powerful image of Olivia entwining herself within a web of red wool of her own making. 

 The film, in the process, becomes an engagement with imposter syndrome and its protagonist's debilitating struggle to overcome it. And yet, as her attempts grow in their scale and proportion, acquiring an almost theatrical quality, is it only a moment of eventual surrender that awaits her at the end of it all? A Sweeter Place not only raises this question, but also offers an answer. On the technical front, while it is not devoid of a few hits and misses, a little instability in a handheld shot or a dialogue sustained too long, the final product remains fresh, honest and deeply impactful in the manner of sharing its story and intentions with the viewer.

A Sweeter Place | Short Film of the Day

‘Zaara’ is a beautiful, even if heartbreaking, glimpse into the life of the eponymous protagonist. A Pakistani girl in the UK, Zaara lives a life consumed entirely by her creative pursuits of filmmaking. As she struggles to stay afloat in the face of dire financial crisis, tugging at her with full force are also conflicted familial relationships. Located at the heart of debt, emotional burdens of a family that refuses to be supportive (while also suffering in the face of their daughter’s financial choices), Zaara refuses to give up, forever pushing forth. 

 As racist, exploitative debt collectors close in, and the protagonist concocts lies to keep going with the shooting of her film, matters truly come to a head. Accompanying them are tribulations for the family as well, simply because of association with their daughter. 

Though a film of limited resources, ‘Zaara’ leaves no stone unturned in its attempts to weave a poignant story about a young minority voice against the world, which sometimes includes her immediate family and their own sexism. Additionally, it exhibits notable storytelling and an emotional maturity that should be explored in future projects by the team. The character of Zaara is enduring, resilient and flawed in her own ways, precisely what makes her leave a lasting impression in the viewer’s mind. Interacting with her life further, and everywhere that her determination, or even stubbornness, takes her is indeed a prospect to look forward to for the viewer.

Zaara | Short Film Nominee

While the word Maya, also a woman's name, has several meanings in different traditions, cultures and languages, the one that stands out the most is its Sanskrit meaning - illusion. The word hence gains more significance in a film that is about a character's search for meaning, truth, an understanding of identity and the ability to feel something, especially when induced by a piece of art in a world that might otherwise seem illusory and beyond perceptible realities. Experimental in its approach, the film simply presents a single character, who sits by herself in a white room, before a painting, coveting the experiences of those who would have felt something at the sight of the creative expression before her. As she laments being deprived of these feelings, a further conversation is invoked on the aforementioned ideas, expressed through a narratorial voice coupled with the woman's bodily movements. She moves smoothly, covering the distance between herself and the painting, until she is before it. Reaching out to touch the painting allows the gesture to achieve an answer to the conundrums the audience has been presented with so far, along with a loud and resounding expression of self-love that ties the entire narrative together with a single sturdy thread.

Maya | Short Film Nominee

CODA takes you in a realm, seemingly alien at first glance, but all too familiar for anyone who has ever battled a perpetual preoccupation with a single thought. In the case of the protagonist, it seems to be a sense of confinement linked to creativity, and therefore, in a lot of ways, with a sense of freedom. 

The narrative invokes visuals of vast endless spaces, be it a water body or a tunnel without a beginning or end. Colors and shadows bleed into one another to conjure this world of metaphors and symbolism, abstractions and a constant ebb and flow of varied ideas. 

 The viewer is allowed to go on this journey with the protagonist, and in the process, perhaps embark on an internal quest of their own, being compelled to look within and engage with their ideas of creativity and freedom. The most notable aspect of the film remains the overall aesthetic and ambience it manages to weave together to present to the audience, all along tying it together with its exploration of the aforementioned thematic concerns.

Coda | Short Film Nominee

Peter has found himself in a terrible circumstance. Despite his best efforts, he is unable to find the inspiration to finish a creative endeavor he had set out to work on with much enthusiasm. 
Except for the title, the page before him remains blank, with no thoughts to even allow him the start that he so desperately seeks. He ropes in his best friend, Damian, as well, in this attempt to find inspiration. In the process, the narrative presents to us an interesting turn of events, ensuring that writing becomes the most noteworthy aspect of the endeavor. 

While it stands to gain from stability in its visuals, the storytelling exhibits potential, marked by a sense of hope and endearment. It is with the same perspective that ‘The Undeniable Will of a Sparrow’ should be approached and interacted with.

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