To say that the film is poignant would be an understatement. What would be apt instead is to call it an accurate portrayal of the raw, visceral fear of being a colored person in a predominantly white nation, where racial identity could mean vastly different things in the same, seemingly mundane situation. The film’s glorious success lies in communicating this without explicitly spelling out any of it. The entire action of the narrative comes to revolve around a single phone call, structured most expertly to engage the viewer even before they realise it. Soon, you find yourself unwittingly becoming part of the emotional unraveling of a mother as she breaks down over the safety of her son. In that moment, she is any and all of us who have ever found their security threatened simply because they belonged to a specific gender, race, religion or nation. If the purpose of art is to disturb and lead to reformative action, this film is art in the truest sense. Insightful, meticulous and brilliant in its exploration of the identity of the marginalised, the Other and the discriminated against, the film does an impeccable job of disorienting your deepest sense of order and safety, introducing you to a disconcerting reality in the process.

One Of Us | Short Film of the Day

When approaching a story of a mother and daughter and their day-to-day life, the first assumption about their familial space can often be fraught with anxiety or conflict. The world of 'Lavender', on the other hand, is far from it. It offers a loving mother, Fern, who always found joy in the small things, and her concerned, and equally loving daughter, Violet. However, a life of domesticity that could have been marked by perfection otherwise, is afflicted by illness. 

A realm of soft, diffused, lavender-tinged visuals is conjured to portray Fern’s reality for us, a mind that now lives in a realm of memories and days long gone by. The narrative also does its bit to talk about dementia and the many ways in which it affects not only the person battling it, but also their caregivers. 

While Fern and Violet’s equation might not be defined by interpersonal conflict, it is indeed defined by tribulations and obstacles of its own. The engagement with the same becomes the driving force of the plot, eventually leaving the viewer with a quiet story of love, loss and the entropy that can sometimes define human existence.

Lavender | Short Film Nominee

The film preoccupies itself with a coming-of-age moment, not simply for our seventeen-year-old protagonist but also those around him. When the film opens, Jason is unhappy with how his entire life has been mapped out for him. 
He battles an internal dilemma regarding what is expected of him and what he truly wants to do. 
While Jason may be headed to a prestigious college, with options to choose from, as his peers are quick to point out, his heart lies in music that remains a deep passion. As he spends a day playing truant with the same friends, a day of discovery awaits him too. While they may sometimes usher in a little tomfoolery to help him unwind a little, they are also well-intentioned and are not going to let anything come in between all the work that he has put in and the much-deserved result that is close in sight now. 
The film’s writing and screenplay explore all of this, alongside Jason’s relationship with his parents. There is also something to be said about a channel of communication, and it is indeed by employing this that his parents evidence a growth trajectory similar to Jason's in the course of the film.

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