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

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

The short narrative is a weaving together of poignant stories inspired by real life events in New Delhi, India. One story after another, The Undefeated introduces us to the harrowing experiences of children and women from vulnerable backgrounds in the capital city and nearby areas. The experiences invoke physical, sexual and emotional abuse, portrayed in a sophisticated, sensitive and powerful manner.

 Each story differs from the previous in its aesthetic approach, while still subscribing to the same pace and overall tonality. The animation matches it all, allowing the stories to communicate what they had set out to convey in the first place. Despite the heaviness of the thematic concerns of the final product, it manages to conjure an indomitable sense of hope. This, in turn, serves as a reminder that while exploitation and oppression might often come from the very space which should have been a source of protection and comfort, there is also a sizeable number of people working towards sheltering those in need. 

 It is precisely this overarching message about each individual's ability to make a change of the proportion and intensity that their own life permits, that becomes the thought the anthology of stories leaves you with.

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