A suggestion of urgency and an ignored phone with unanswered calls is our first introduction to Debbie’s world. It follows visuals of unfeeling cityscapes that remain insensitive and detached in the hard cement and concrete they conjure on screen. Despite the things unfolding in her own life, Debbie finds herself distracted by an unfortunate circumstance of a young woman, Tay, and cannot look away. Tay leads an unforgiving existence in direct contrast with Debbie’s seemingly sheltered life. As the narrative progresses, however, it takes the viewer, as well as Debbie, down all sorts of circuitous paths that reveal more than either of them could have expected at first glance. The driving force of the narrative is a very noble cause, and it makes a compelling case for it, aiming to make the viewer sit up and pay attention to the malady of homelessness that plagues modern society, especially, the youth. It draws upon dreams, hopes, and often the failure of their completion to share its message. Though a few rough edges in terms of sound make a rare appearance, the visual progression, choice of the background score, as well as the screenplay, exhibit investment of thought in portraying it all for the viewer.

It Could Be You | Short Film Nominee

While significant parts of the global population were adversely affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, some communities and portions were more severely damaged than others. The documentary film is a dedicated endeavor to draw your attention to the same concern. The narrative pivots on the homelessness crisis that deeply afflicts the entire US, in general, and the city of Los Angeles, in particular, choosing the latter as its subject matter. While privilege determined how protected you found yourself during this time and all that followed in its wake, those who were either already without a home, or forced to be on the streets as a result of the financial turbulence that was coupled with the pandemic, were left especially vulnerable and reeling in the aftermath. The financial location of a person in society often also gets tied with other aspects of their identity, underlines the film, also touching upon the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the presence of the Asian diaspora in the country. The visuals of the film suggest all of this without ever using any dialogue, allowing the stillness and emptiness of the frames to communicate its intentions. The documentary, thus, becomes an educational and informative product, urging the viewer to do their bit in assuaging, averting and mitigating the pain that has especially entrenched itself in our lives in a coronavirus-ridden world.

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