The documentary introduces the viewer to the Hope Center for the Arts in California, USA. Established in 1979, the center is unique because of the manner in which it provides an art-based community for adults with intellectual disabilities. The narrative the film thus presents to the viewer is heartfelt and poignant, crisp in its brevity, and yet, lucid and comprehensive. 

Along with raising awareness about the center itself, and all the work that it has been doing, it further gives a glimpse into an entire community, their dreams and hope, but more than that, their talent and skill. It takes the form of a relevant story about a significant section of the population, which has been marginalized for a very long time with a single, dismissive stroke. 

All of this is painted for the viewer, without resorting to overt sentimentalism or maudlin storytelling in any form. It is indeed this characteristic which allows the film the necessary sensitivity and nuance to make its message impactful and empowering.

A Crack in the Universe | 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 world of 'Diligitis' is marked by intensity of emotion, expressed most adroitly and sincerely in a fitting exchange between two characters. However, even within the realm of the film, these characters only exist in a fictive space, brought to life by the protagonist’s own musing. The ensuing conversation conjures a quiet, but deeply heartfelt realm of love, intimacy and what it means for two lovers to share a moment of confession of their feelings towards each other. This contrasts sharply with the protagonist’s own reality which remains devoid of all dialogue, marked only by long, meaningful glances. The union of the two approaches brings forth the film’s reality which remains quiet, sustained in its soft intensity throughout, while presenting a conversation on intimacy and its expression.

Diligitis | 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.

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