The question at the heart of the film is what is the price you are willing to pay for your freedom, to not cower in shadows but unequivocally assert who you really are, and eventually live a life of acceptance, love, and hope? The answer to this is also beautifully and seamlessly nestled within the film as it introduces us to Sasha Smirnov, a Russian gay man who had to leave his country when his sexual identity became a direct threat to his life and safety. 

In Sasha, we see a man who has built a life from scratch in the US, a country far, far away from home. He is the most fitting subject to tell a story of resilience, hope, one of surmounting tremendous adversity, and yet, never losing the ability to put one foot in front of the other, to always look to the future and all the potential it holds. In the protagonist, we see the inimitable and rare combination of vulnerability and fierceness. Sasha is unmissable in the sense of hope he conjures on screen, while always being fully aware of the past, and how burdensome it can become sometimes. 
The narrative-building and storytelling of the film are compelling and skilled, alongside being notably efficient in introducing the viewer to its protagonist. It is clear in the articulation of all its intentions, and in presenting a story that is not only heartfelt and meaningful but also a well-balanced combination of self-affirmation and vulnerability, and the loud and emphatic assertion of never giving up on the hope of a better tomorrow.

At Home Among Strangers  | Short Film of the Month

‘Kamen’ is a brief glimpse into the rut a man is stuck in, something which could be the lived reality of anyone who finds themselves entrapped within a capitalist machinery of mundane, and perhaps even oppressive, repetition. The unnamed protagonist simply wears a mask to offer this sense of relatability to the viewer, to suggest his story could be the story of any viewer. 

Through his misadventure of missing a train, his desperation to catch it evident in the mad rush he makes after it in his formal attire, all of this is portrayed for the viewer. Locating the protagonist in an urbane reality, the message is driven home further. However, ensconced within all of these elements is an invincible moment of freedom, which is achieved by the smallest of actions, the narrative suggests. Notably, the entirety of the plot unfolds within an experimental space, while employing efficient visuals.

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