On the face of it, 'Rat Tail' is an intimate, brave, beautiful account of a person’s relationship with his hair. And yet, as the film evolves and progresses, and before the viewer can realize it, it takes us into a far darker world, eventually tying it all together with an uplifting, heartwarming message. If you have begun to wonder how could all of it be considered an organic, comprehensive or even an entertaining creative endeavor, read on. 

Filmmaker Chad Sogas employs an efficient, sophisticated edit, tied with seamless overlaps of voices from his own life, to present to you a personal account of his battles with mental illness. However, without making it didactic, overbearing or mawkish, all traps a pursuit of this kind can very easily fall into, he offers an uplifting story of hope, recovery and healing. Especially relevant in a world where the pandemic has left us with ravages of a time and existence we all struggled to cope with, the film comes at a very opportune time. 

One of many strengths of the film also becomes its ability to utilize a highly personal narrative in a manner that makes it extremely relatable and inclusive for the audience. Whether your struggles are of a similar nature or not as the protagonist, its enduring and indomitable sense of hope and acceptance will ensure that 'Rat Tail' works wonderfully on multiple levels. From storytelling to approach to narratorial progression, the film offers sophistication and smoothness in all departments, along with having its heart in the right place. After all, what is good art and storytelling, if not simply a reminder, fleeting as it might be, that perhaps we are all in this together?

Rat Tail | Short Film of the Month

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

From online workouts with chirpy fitness instructors to music that would have once uplifted your spirits, from the overwhelming deluge of news, content, celebrities' two-pence on the health crisis that has followed in the wake of a pandemic, to political figures accepting or denying it - the conversation around the coronavirus is endless. The film is a portrayal of how the protagonist gets sucked into this vortex, it's pull strengthened by the emotional as well as the physical isolation she is already grappling with in an empty house with only voices on screens as a companion. The grainy, dimly-lit visuals further serve to communicate a sense of remoteness and aloofness as we find ourselves emotionally, more than physically, distanced from one another. At first glance, the film is about no more than a woman's emotional health spiralling into chaos. However, the narrative is perhaps also about the quest for some semblance of control, as false as it might be, coming from washing your hands obsessively or dancing around in your bathroom, dressed up in bling and shimmer, perhaps allowing yourself to forget, even if just for a fleeting moment, that a pandemic has not brought the world down to its knees. This when coupled with beautiful shots and a seamless edit, translates the protagonist's thoughts and internal state of being to the screen with an honesty and truth that will ring loud and clear with several viewers. And yet, look closer, and there is another important concern the film engages with - one about the 
ubiquitous nature of technology when it comes to human existence. It's infestation in our day-to-day lives is a deeply internalised and normalised reality. However it's presence acquires a herculean proportion when we are removed from human contact. As the voices continue on our several gadgets, soon devolving into a cacophony, the noise breaks the silence with an overwhelming, immensely disorienting force, suggests the narrative. Will this pull the protagonist deeper, to a place of no return, along with the viewer, or would it finally allow her a respite, a moment of complete abandon away from it all?

Noise | Short Film Nominee

‘Albacore’ is a lovely exploration of a woman’s struggle with everything that she once desired, and the hollowness of life, the ennui it entails, now that she has attained it. Water remains an ongoing metaphor throughout, after having being established in the image of a fish that the title conjures. The forward propulsion of the narrative is defined by the pursuit of the discomfort of a fish out of water, her desperate desire to find that release and perhaps an eventual return to it. 
The protagonist, though a laconic woman, is a force to be reckoned with. Her most meaningful conversations take place with another woman, a younger self of sorts, who is a reminder of a past that no longer exists. When all of these elements are weaved together, the result is engaging, and soulful. 
There’s further an inherent quietness to the film, and the isolation of vast, endless spaces, evident in its visuals, that further aid this communication of intentions, ensuring that 'Albacore' remains lucid and meaningful throughout.

Albacore | Short Film of the Day

Mental health has made significant inroads into our cinema and art, and this film goes ahead to prove the same. Potentially triggering for those who battle mental health issues on a regular basis, the film is a literal and metaphorical representation of a man's struggle to grapple with his own internal demons. As the protagonist tries to take transitory comfort in substance abuse and drown the voices in his head in alcohol, the film holds the potential of being relatable for several viewers in the same age group as him. The strongest aspects of Lost in Oblivion are definitely it's performance and camerawork, both working arduously to make the story work. Succeeding at it, the various elements of the narrative come together to invoke an urgent concern - the absolute need to acknowledge and address the mental health concerns of a huge part of contemporary society.

Lost in Oblivion | Short Film of the Day

The film preoccupies itself with a moment fraught with extreme tension and anxiety, yet subdued and muzzled by layers and layers of familial dynamics and etiquette. Young Jade arrives at her grandmother's birthday party, but the event is marked by something oppressive, something far beyond the realm of the child's comprehension. 

Jade will meet her half-sister Katrina for the first time on this day. The constant sense of unease never truly leaves the adult equations either, and located at the heart of all this is the alienation and anxiety Jade experiences, without the ability to articulate or even process all that unfolds. 

 
The short film does a beautiful, earnest job of portraying the many nuances and undercurrents that lurk in the unsaid things. Eschewing sentimentalism, or any kind of overt emotional outbursts or exclamations, the realm is conjured for the viewer. The visual grammar, as well as the silences, tied together most seamlessly by the immense vulnerability of its young protagonist, complete and deliver the film to the audience.

Half  | Short Film of the Month

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

The protagonist of ‘Endless Shades’ is a twenty-three-year-old woman who battles several obstacles when it comes to her mental health. The immense pressure that is associated with physical appearance, and more so in the case of young women, can truly be crushing in this age of filtered selfies and meticulously curated realities. The short film draws attention to the same pressure for the protagonist who struggles to see the beauty in her appearance, despite checking off several boxes of conventional characteristics. However, there is a moment of acceptance and triumph to be had within the film as mirrors are shattered, and the broken shards are then used as a symbol of strength. The narrative and writing remain direct and straightforward, but it is the visuals and the subsequent flow of events that truly make the film succeed, along with offering a comment on an urgent contemporary issue.

Endless Shades | Short Film of the Day

The short film is undeniably beautiful in its eccentric and refreshing treatment of a topic that has been attempted an engagement with countless times, making the possibility of banal or lacklustre content around the same extremely likely. Dumps, on the other end, steers clears of this effortlessly and in a manner worthy of all your appreciation. The film opens with a black and white palette, instinctively placing things in neat categories for the viewer - of sadness and gloom, and other emotions that remain beyond the protagonist's reach. A note is left for 'dad' on the table as he progresses to the bathroom for the next step - his suicide. However, the most unexpected development ensures that things are completely thrown off-course, the neatness of the plan evaporating, as emotional complexities and nuances come to dominate the messy, wet scene of a toilet marked by a toaster, an overflowing bathtub, and well, the protagonist stuck to his toilet seat. While encouraging a conversation on mental health and suicide, the film also addresses patterns of self-sabotage that an individual might be subjecting themselves to, consciously or not. Tight close-ups, sophisticated comedic moments entwined with the darkness of the theme and a unique interaction and interpretation of mental health issues ensure that the narrative is tight, engrossing and impactful in the message it wants to communicate, along with allowing an enriching viewing experience to its audience.

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