Whether or not the film intended it, it manages to convey more than a single story through its layered narrative. A nurse, played by Gemma Whelan of the Game of Thrones fame, finds herself making her way into an eerie house which is in a state of complete abandon. The only other inhabitant of it is her patient, a bed-ridden, elderly woman. The film builds itself slowly, maintaining a pace which strikes the right balance between revealing and concealing adequate amounts of the plot. As the nurse gets to taking care of chores and looking after her patient, she stumbles across a door which wasn't previously visible on the wall. Just when she is about to succeed at opening it, indistinct noises from inside forces her to not only shut it tightly, but block its path completely to ensure it never manages to open itself. Of course this isn't the end of the road for our protagonist, instead only the beginning. The door begins to follow her around the house. However, her most difficult obstacle is perhaps something else, as suggested by the haunting, most jarring climax and the conclusion of the film. Additionally, the image of the door struggling to open itself, but constantly being pushed back by the protagonist in her fear of the unknown, becomes a notable message about one's internal struggles to shut out what is unknown to them, even if it potentially holds the key to their escape from a far more horrifying situation.

The Blue Door | Gemma Whelan | Short Film of the Day

‘All Through the Night’ is a heartfelt exploration of a father-son relationship prima facie. However one requires only a slightly closer look to realize the myriad undercurrents that constitute it. The narrative invokes memory, a fraught relationship with the past, familial dynamics, and their potentially volatile nature. 

Neil has arrived at his childhood home for a farewell, one that is as inevitable as it is essential. His father Alexander, a former choir conductor, battles Alzheimer’s and is about to move to a health facility permanently. While trying to comprehend this rapidly disappearing relationship with his father, Neil finds himself looking back at his own memories of him, perhaps in a manner he had not done before. As precarious as the balance might be, a balance that holds the last vestiges of their equation, it is still tightly controlled and molded by a shared past, no matter how turbulent. Music, at last, becomes the common thread to tie it all together. Finally now, during a moment of goodbye, the two reach and inhabit the same plane, even if ever so briefly, suggests the narrative. 

Along with portraying a poignant story, the film also does a notable job of raising awareness about the illness itself, and the many ways Alzheimer’s affects families and carers. The writing, performances, visual progression, and background score, all aid this endeavor notably, allowing the film to come together with smoothness and ease.

All Through the Night  | Short Film of the Month

When the viewer is first introduced to the eponymous protagonist, little do they realize what is truly in store for them. A peppy man is on his way to work as a nurse at an old age home. At the home itself we are introduced to three characters, each of which he finds a way to torture while maintaining the same peppiness we had been introduced to earlier. 

The film is an endeavor to employ satire and an element of the absurd to present a very relevant message, one about the neglect and abuse of the elderly. Its desired approach is defined by dark humor to portray it all. Additionally, there is a stab at playing around with the edit, with quick shots and tight frames to conjure it all. 

The narrative moves swiftly between emotional states, creating a disorienting, heady cocktail of something mean and nasty unfolding before you. It invokes concern in the viewer regarding the characters we see around the protagonist, but much like the characters themselves, the viewer too is at the mercy of the many cruel antics of the protagonist, watching them develop in quick succession as the film begins and concludes as instantly as it had begun.

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