The film does a remarkable job of tying something as dark and disturbing as substance abuse and its many devastating consequences with the innocence of childhood and its fantasies. The story opens with the mingling of two very contrasting images in the same vein. 

Our young protagonist Samir plays with his toys, his voice overlapping with the sobbing of a woman, and the visuals of broken glass. His immediate reality is defined by alcoholism and substance abuse of his parents, and the consequent neglect that it leads to. 

The child is quick to take comfort in fantasies that the adult viewer knows will probably never come true. The film’s biggest triumph lies in how skillfully it portrays this contrast and paints a heartbreaking world by simply using a child’s perspective as its primary storytelling tool. The screenplay is constructed with equal care to ensure no beat or moment is left under-utilized, driving its message home with impact and clarity.

Night Games | Spotlight

When one talks of domestic abuse, the first instinct is to imagine a heteronormative couple and the many travails of their life. This is the idea that Oh, Brother subverts to bring to life a highly dysfunctional relationship of two brothers, Malcolm and Philip. The characters are portrayed as being cut-off and isolated from the external world, continuing their grim existence within the confines of their house, with its bareness and the mementos of a shared past enhancing the texture of the story.

 The narrative offers an interesting dynamic by way of the equation of the brothers, aptly portraying for the viewer how an abuser isolates their victim from the rest of society, ensuring there is no other source of comfort or refuge available to them other than the dysfunctional and grotesque presence of the abuser themselves. In the film, however, things come to a head in the most unexpected manner when a stranger breaks into their house. 

 The ensuing butterfly effect throws Malcolm and Philip's world into absolute chaos, altering the course of their relationship forever. The storytelling, in the process, acquires a relevant tone and approach to the delineation of abuse and the twisted co-dependence of such an equation. However, is there an upper limit up to which it can be pulled and tugged before it snaps into two? The film presents a conclusive answer.

Oh, Brother | Short Film Nominee

Trigger Warning: Domestic and sexual abuse 

The first visual we are introduced to in the film is of an intimate setting - early morning in a bedroom with sunlight streaming in. However, despite the potential ease of the situation, a sense of disconcertment has already been set in motion. 

The narrative develops gradually to reveal the true forces that are at work here, allowing the viewer to unpack the discomfort they have felt so far. It is in this unpacking of the narratorial layers that the primary message of the film lies. It portrays the terrible reality of domestic abuse by taking us into the life of a couple. The abuse in itself becomes the overarching character in the plot, explaining the many ways in which the abusers isolate and torment their victims. 

The film serves to draw our attention to the staggering rise in domestic abuse of both women and children during the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK. This, in turn, also allows a compelling and extremely relevant insight to the viewer about the manner in which abuse operates even within the framework of what would should be a space of comfort, love and affection, and the horrific shape it took in a pandemic-ridden world.

Purgatory | Short Film Nominee

The film includes an honest performance to put forth its message, and thus attempts to do its bit to add to the conversation on gender. It opens on a note that clearly suggests that something is amiss. The first image introduced to the viewer is that of a woman sitting by a window as the rain continues to pour outside. The sombreness invoked by the scene soon comes to find a more pronounced echo as the rest of the plot unfolds. The woman is portrayed as being edgy and displeased with those around her, emphasizing for the viewer again that something darker lurks beneath the surface. In the process of engaging with all of these myriads aspects of the protagonist's life, and revealing to the viewer the true reason for her unhappiness, Flip Side becomes an effort to talk about an important issue that often hides in plain sight. While it demands a closer look at familial structures that are wilting under the burden of patriarchy, it would have benefited from more attention and better control on sound.

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