A painter finds himself overwhelmed by his memories and the past, which eventually begin to block his creative energies as well. It is primarily a conversation with these obstacles that come to form the main body of the film. Marked by its calm visuals, that effortlessly, and perhaps even consciously, steer clear of gaudiness and ostentation, the film thus becomes a quiet portrayal of a man's interactions with his grief over a seemingly recent loss. The film attempts several things - a delineation of an artist's process of creating something, the manner in which his past experiences tie up with it, the failure to let them find a voice on his canvas and the eternal battle to conquer them, both despite and because of personal tragedy. Pentimento, essentially aiming to convey the change an artist might make in the process of painting, achieves all of this through its seamless and elegant camerawork, further enhanced by sophisticated and convincing performances. All of these elements are finally tied together by poignant storytelling, allowing the film to be a wonderfully wholesome product.

Pentimento | Short Film of the Day

The short narrative, equipped with a unique voice, deeply engaging and unsettling at the same time, takes us into Quincy’s world and his harmless, but strangely dedicated eavesdropping on his elderly neighbor. 

Along with these events, there is also something deeply absurd that forms the hinterland of the film’s landscape - the unexplained and spontaneous combustion of people. Quincy’s world is hurled into chaos when his neighbor meets the same fate, leaving behind her dog, Matt. 

As a conversation is attempted on grieving, battling the inhibiting voices within, reconciling the arbitrariness of life and somehow making sense of a world that seems to be falling apart, the narrative forms an organic whole, presenting itself to the viewer to further interact with. Amidst it all, there is a generous smattering of comments on a culture that is consumed by consumerism, it’s distorted ideas of beauty, fitness and outward appearances, often taking the form of completely ridiculous suggestions from different parts of the world. The aforementioned ideas are allowed development with the employment of sophisticated camerawork and surrealist storytelling, ensuring that the film succeeds in making a lasting impression on the viewer.

Wait For the Dog | Short Film of the Day

The world of ‘Hypodermic’ is constructed meticulously, uniting a sense of endlessness associated with water, and the title's inherent suggestion of it finding a home beneath your skin. The background score too is chosen with care, ensuring that it enhances the story and narratorial progression in a significant manner. 

Isaiah, the protagonist, seems to be plagued by a nightmarish reality, an echo of his past that threatens to overpower his life in the present. Despite the attempts of a concerned girlfriend, he is unable to open up about what truly happened, battling, all by himself, the affliction that now casts a long, endless pall on his life. 

The story is involving and shocking, leading to a revelation that sustains the drama and suspense built so far. While it shows want of a little tightness in its progression towards the climax, the film manages to pull itself back in position by the conclusion, perhaps even leaving its realm with you long after you are done watching it.

Hypodermic | Short Film of the Day

'Silence 1b' is a poignant romance with grief, loss and the trauma that gets left behind in its wake. The real triumph of the film lies in the manner in which it approaches its thematic concern, weaving together visual and audio metaphors and symbols. 

Concisely put, it is the story of a woman mourning the loss of her partner, one she was yet to know enough to be able to put their relationship in a normative structure or category. However, the sharpness of grief knows no such rules and spares none in its forever advancing motion. The inability to reconcile the self with the ensuing pain, especially in the absence of a vocabulary to articulate it, becomes the emotional guiding force of the plot. 

All of this is explored and condensed within a few minutes of the narrative, maintaining brevity throughout. The experimental treatment remains a notable strength of the film, while staying consistently faithful to the overall style and aesthetic, making the viewer feel the true force of the emotions being invoked before them.

Silence 1b | Short Film of the Day

Christoph and Philip, a pianist and an adult industry professional, share a beautifully affectionate marriage. This is precisely why the heartache of still having irreconcilable differences of opinion over the latter's choice of profession makes it a concern that compels the viewer to be deeply invested in the various ups and downs of their relationship. 

Only Human (Bytost) brings to life a sophisticated union of vulnerability and protectiveness in Christoph who is further disturbed by the medication that Philip is required to take for his job. As their differences turn into massive fights, a far bigger tragedy awaits the couple.

The cinematography employed to portray all of these dynamics, complexities and nuances of a marriage is poetry in itself. It ensures that the non-linear narrative is successful in invoking a recent past of trauma and tragedy that has given way to despair, heartache and grief. Through its treatment of pain that is left in the wake of loss, there is an engagement with bias - towards homosexuality, and pornography and those who work within the field, further allowing the film an added layer in the treatment of its thematic concerns. 

 Lastly, there is the attempt to invoke a sense of being trapped, stuck in a vicious cycle one might find themselves unable to break out of, often making them feel like they do not belong to this mortal realm of humans. However, the film's loud resounding message is that we very much do. Irrespective of how humongous our tribulations might seem we are, after all, only human.

Only Human | Short Film of the Day

The short film exhibits a unique idea, experimental storytelling and seamless editing. The story is of a man who is struggling to cope with the death of his wife, and finds himself taking refuge in revisiting a particular memory of her. The narrative opens with a quote that is a disturbing reiteration of the premise of the film - allowing yourself to be engulfed by a moment of pain to the extent of it turning into an addiction. This addiction, in the process, becomes the only source of joy the protagonist clings on to like his life depends on it, and perhaps, at an emotional and mental level, it does. Impossibility: Possibility invokes the cyclical nature of addiction, and how, despite the path of destruction it might potentially be leading the protagonist to, it has now become the sole reason of why he gets out of bed every morning. Further, it is an attempt to give a glimpse of the far-reaching consequences of the deep infestation of technology in our lives, while also engaging with a man's attempts to cope with loss, grief and a battle with mental illness. While technology might make even the most impossible tasks possible, are we prepared to face all that it truly entails?

Impossibility: Possibility| Short Film of the Day

Any interaction with death, especially that of a loved one, often renders one changed in a permanent fashion. More so if it comes at an early age, as Boo portrays. The short film takes us into the life of a family which is battling the aftermath of a member's death and the different ways in which it comes to affect them. While grief is a universal sentiment, the manner of dealing with it is highly individual, specific to each person. This becomes the second concern of the film. 

When the story begins, it is also the time of Halloween, when we choose to remember the dead and those who have moved on. We even dress up as them, opening our very doors to you and I in attires of supernatural beings on the other side of it. And yet, when death truly arrives at our own doorstep, it's garbed in grief, longing and heartache, unlike the costumes we don every year. The short film is a sincere engagement with the same sentiment, also delineating a child's first exposure to a loved one's death and the immutable nature of such an occurrence. There is a dedicated exploration of the several manners in which the experience can manifest itself in a child's lived reality, and how it goes beyond the simple refusal to take off her Halloween costume of a white ghost even after the evening is over. 

At its very start, the narrative is marked by an oppressive silence and a completely still frame. The quiet is deliberately kept overwhelming to the extent of suffusing you with a sense of relief, gratefulness even, when the first signs of music creep into the narrative. This is enhanced further by a frugality of dialogue that works wonderfully in the story's favour. On the whole, the film becomes a conversation with loss and death, and the way it finds itself tied to the innocence of childhood, as well as the endurability of sorrow and the form it acquires in adulthood. Weaving these elements together allows the film to be a coherent narrative presented forth for the viewer's participation.

Boo | Short Film of the Day

Death, and the consequent pain, are two inevitable truths of the human condition, and yet, when faced with them, we find ourselves most ill-equipped to comprehend them. The short film is an interaction with the same premise, taking the viewer into the phenomenon and process of grieving, and the several ways in which it can affect a person. Once the mind chooses to take over and employ its means, is there a way possible to pull oneself back from the brink of - complete disintegration? The resurrection of a parallel reality? Hallucinations or imagining things that don't exist, even if they put one in mortal peril? The narrative raises all of these questions and offers an adequate representation of the age-old mind-over-matter proposition. In the aftermath of her brother's demise, Beth finds herself seeking the isolation and quiet of a family cottage, away from her mother and other people. However, it is in the silence of this solitude which could have perhaps been therapeutic for the protagonist, the most unusual occurrences take place. From seeing her brother Billy before her, to finding herself at the edge of a pier, about to hop on to a boat that doesn't exist, strange events take place to suggest the manner in which reality is unraveling for her. When faced with endless darkness and forces far mightier than her, both within and without, what will Beth choose that will come to determine the course of the rest of her life?

Windblown | Short Film Nominee

‘Ganzefeld’, a story that borrows from the German meaning of the word to explore a sense of absolute emotional loss and surrender, is honest and heartfelt in its engagement with the life of the eponymous protagonist. Once a loving couple, Richard and Maggie were eventually afflicted by tragedy in the form of a chronic illness that took Maggie's life. 

There is the endeavor to paint grief, loss, heartache, and some more, but along with drama, there is also an elemental psychological thrill that defines the plot. One day, confined to his own devices within the house, Richard accidentally destroys Maggie’s last painting, a portrait of him.

It is in the image of this damage and destruction that a crucial metaphor of the film lies, a metaphor about the relationship of the protagonist with his wife and the disastrous consequences that await in the wake of its abrupt and sad end. The narrative further uses the color yellow, otherwise denoting verve, energy and enthusiasm, in its lighting and overall palette, to instead portend something far darker. 

The film is an unmissable glimpse into the young filmmaker’s voice and approach to storytelling. Even if a little loose in some places, it exhibits deep potential, and leaves you with the promise of more creative attempts in the same vein.

Most Viewed

Genres

Awards

Follow Us

Quick Links