Thrilling, powerful and sinister are the three adjectives that most perfectly define the experience of interacting with I'm Still Here. The film takes us into the very uncertain, and therefore, doubly horrifying reality of a woman called Maggie who is hiding in a basement while waiting for her parents to come back. The latter had ventured out in search of supplies seven days ago and have not been heard from since. 

 In the process, the film invokes the deeply disconcerting situations of emotional isolation, along with a physical kind, allowing it to be a more hard-hitting story in a world that is only beginning to get back on its feet from the lonesome existence of a pandemic. The physical threat is never truly revealed to the viewer, thereby allowing it to invoke fear of a distinctive visceral kind, individual to each mind, one heightened by concealing more than what the story reveals. However, in addition to this, it is the oppressive internal, emotional threat that truly captures the viewer's attention and ensures they are unable to look away even in the face of something potentially fatal awaiting the protagonist. 

 There is further much to be said about the expert and sophisticated manner in which sound is employed to conjure the world Maggie inhabits. Markedly, it is indeed another woman's voice on a walkie-talkie, Emory, that allows decisive and crucial forward movement of the plot. As the two women find themselves a space of companionship, solidarity, and hence, much-needed strength during a moment of paralyzing panic, the film conveys all of its intentions in a notably effortless manner. Moreover, it would indeed be quite something to see the short film as a longer project.

I'm Still Here | Short Film of the Day

The short film invokes the most disconcerting narrative by portraying how sometimes the source of our worst fears are the very places which should have been associated with comfort and safety. The story is predominantly of a single night when a girl finds herself realising that her most fearsome and loathsome thoughts stem from a young man she has decided to invest herself too deeply in. The film further offers an interesting exploration of the dynamics of a heteronormative relationship where the boy threatens her mental and emotional security, if not physical. In a society where conversation around gender is gaining prominence, it is often convenient for oppressive tools of patriarchy to steer clear off overtly problematic behaviour that allows them to pander to their ego and sense of righteousness. Amidst all of this, what of the consciousness of a young woman trapped in a relationship with a man who stands for everything she abhors? The Rat is a potent comment on how women find themselves located in a society where patriarchy reigns free. The protagonist may have drawn whiskers on her face with little cat ears to go. However, when she wakes up to find her makeup smudged the following morning, would she find it in her to finally outplay the rat?

The Rat | Short Film of the Day

An empty subway takes you into the world of the film marked by a very strange event that threatens to annihilate the very existence of humanity. Amidst it all is a protagonist, Sunny, confined to a bar with only a dog for company, awaiting the arrival of a friend or colleague. The introduction to the latter is only by way of voice messages, while the former moves from one corner of emotional and physical isolation to another. 

 The visuals come across as one of the most standout characteristics of the film, along with the efficient use of limited space, and a smooth edit. The performance of the film's sole actor also does a notable job of bringing out the effects of isolation, along with the despair and uncertainty of waiting. 

 In the process, Last Call becomes a unique, engrossing union of a joie de vivre vibe with an apocalyptic reality. The union can perhaps even serve as a disconcertingly lovely metaphor for contemporary existence. On the whole, the visuals and performances triumph over the other elements in the film, not because the rest are any less, but because these two are specifically skilled. It would be interesting to see the short film developed as a longer, more cohesive narrative.

Last Call | Short Film of the Day

It is late into the night when a boy leaves a library and heads to the parking lot of the building. However, right from the opening of the film, his deep discomfort and distress is apparent to the viewer. His movements are rushed and unsure, suggesting the fear of perhaps being followed. 

Even the most regular and mundane situations acquire disturbing proportions for the protagonist as he desperately seeks to leave the underground parking lot and head home. Accompanying these tense visuals is the constant pinging of a phone in the form of text messages and phone calls from a woman who is keeping regular tabs on the protagonist's movements. 

 All of these developments are tied together to conjure a narrative about abusive relationships and the manner in which they can come to control a person's lived reality. The film adopts characteristics of the thriller and horror genres to convey its intentions, and completes itself by offering the viewer a fast-paced final result.

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