The film checks off all the right boxes in terms of writing, performances and the manner in which the narrative holds itself together. It’s the story of two former lovers, meeting to return each other their things. What they say is in direct contrast to what is truly on their mind or what they wish to communicate to each other. Films, especially of a shorter duration, have attempted to convey the same sentiment previously, yet In Other Words brings to the screen a sensitivity and vulnerability which can be attributed primarily to its strong writing. The film is subtle in all manners of the word, another notable aspect since the emotions it manages to convey are of the raging category, one that applies to perhaps violent delights and their violent ends. All of it is wrapped together and presented to the viewer in the form of a beautiful viewing experience using soft colour palettes and an even softer background score. There are no loud camera angles or wasteful use of space. The script is tight, relatable and brings to life a situation rehearsed and performed several times in a person’s life, and still, no less painful.

In Other Words | Short Film of the Day

It's incredibly difficult to pin down what this film truly means to a viewer. It is ethereal and visceral at the same time. It is extremely complex, nuanced, evasive, and yet, at its core, has a simple premise. While the subject it deals with is endlessly layered, its voice and tone is fairly straightforward. But wait, what genre does it belong to? Is it dramatic, surreal, violent in its execution of its story? Is it all or none of it? As you struggle with the questions and their answers, it is indeed in this compulsion you feel to engage with it that the success of the film lies. The body of the narrative is the poem of the same name by Olivia Gatwood. Though both Dani Pearce and Gatwood belong to different parts of the world, having first participated in the conversation around this short film virtually, Backpedal further goes on to exhibit the transcendence of art, the universality of an experience when it's treated with absolute honesty and sincerity. The story becomes a commentary on gender, the desperate need of adolescents to fit in with their peers, in general, and of young women trying to fit in with their male counterparts in particular. Violent images of a murder are invoked, as are those of grief, tragedy and loss. It's astonishing how much the film manages to convey in its short length. Further, it's unequivocally loud and clear in its message, one expressed in an experimental manner, ensuring that the story and its images will continue to haunt you, making you return to it over and over again after your first interaction with the world conjured by Backpedal.

Backpedal | Short Film of the Day

Sexual encounters and the awkwardness of first times are no new subjects or thematic concerns for a short film, and neither are stories of queer characters, slowly making their presence felt more and more with every passing day. However combining both to talk about the newness of a sexual experience between two characters who don't conform to heteronormativity, without falling prey to the trap of glorifying it or imbuing it with a tone of tragedy, is indeed a unique approach of crafting a narrative. It is precisely in this manner that Dirty infuses a fresh breath of air in the storytelling space by exploring a mundane reality, one unfortunately not engaged with enough, and simply presenting it forth without ostentation or unnecessary emotional devices. Consequently, the film's concerns are not positioned using the self and the 'Other' binary, or juxtaposed by employing heterosexuality against homosexuality, or by pivoting the plot on any such contrast. Instead, it takes the viewer into an encounter of two young queer high-school students, one more inexperienced than the other, and the hesitation, confusion, and an unexpected situation that ensues thereafter. Additionally, it is this dedication and meticulous attention by a story to its intentions that allow it a universality and authenticity, as Dirty goes ahead to exhibit. It is also in this that lies the normalisation of a situation without ever explicitly spelling it out.

Dirty | Short Film of The Day

It is incredibly difficult to pin down the film to a single genre. Is it a romance? Comedy? Thriller - what is it really? This is not the only way the film will involve and confuse you - it has visuals which are intense, disturbing, disconcerting, and sometimes just straight up disgusting. However, whatever they might be, whatever the emotion they are going for, they are sure to make you feel very deeply, and that is first of the many successes of the film. It's tone is bewildering, sometimes packed with repulsion, sometimes with endearment, but forever goading the viewer to keep up as it swiftly moves from one emotion to another. It is unique, singular, disturbing (again) and entertaining all at the some time. Danny's Girl is not a film you watch with a sensitive stomach, or one for the viewer who is only looking for easily digestible content, and yet, despite it all, it will force appreciation and admiration out of you. The film also provides an interesting comment on how far can someone's maternal instinct go, on relationships and couples, the awkwardness of meeting someone for the first time, and a sexual scene which begins and ends on notes diametrically opposite to each other.

Danny’s Girl | Short Film of the Day

If the premise of the film, a man choosing to be furniture for his wife (quite literally) is not bizarre enough, there is its accompanying opening visual - a man upside down, posing as a seat for someone to sit on. As the story progresses, the viewer is allowed the chance to make sense of this seemingly absurd situation which, behind the facade of ridiculousness, carries a strong comment on marriage. It further draws attention to the breakdown of communication between the couple where instead of realising what your partner truly desires (or perhaps even read their texts), you might end up over-compensating in a manner that does little to cater to their needs. The film is notably neat in the manner in which it conjures its visuals minus any loud noises, harsh light or bursts of colours. The conversation between the two characters is frugal, much like their house, following a minimalist approach to furniture. And just when one partner is done taking care of his futile efforts to be furniture, it is time for the other to step into the same role. As redundant as these efforts might be, it is perhaps the only way they can fill in the lacunas in their communication.

Bad Furniture | Short Film of the Day

The film turns out to be the most comforting, warmth-inducing balm for a cold, scared heart. As Fran goes about life, unable to make the desire to die and end her life go away, she also finds herself taking fancy to a colleague. When she finds Robert reciprocate the attraction, their story develops in the most calm manner, exploiting its economy of dialogues to the fullest. Both Sarbh and Wright-Mead bring a softness to the screen that is not easy to come by. In a sense the story indeed is a romance, but it's also so much more. It is a story about isolation and what can be potentially seen as melancholia and suicidal tendencies. It is about the nervousness and the fuzzies of a first date, as much as its about the awkwardness of new lovers and a failure to communicate affection despite all desire to do so. Consequently, with its gentle handling of the subject, marked more by silences than any noise that could mar its simple yet loud and clear style, the film becomes a beautifully crafted, sincerely executed piece of art that brings to the screen an evocative sense of endearment and tenderness.

sometimes, i think about dying | Short Film of the Day

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

When you are done watching ‘He Won’t Belong’, an emotional resonance lingers. In the loss, grief, and trauma the narrative portrays, even in how the visuals wrap themselves around all of these sentiments, the lingering remains omnipresent. 

The film is the story of two strangers, Theo and Connor, stumbling across each other in the most unlikely manner. The former finds the latter wandering alone by the side of the road during a storm. The chance encounter, however, leads the two, and the viewer along with them, down a path of deep emotional truths, sometimes painful, sometimes disturbing, but forever demanding to be felt and acknowledged. 

The authenticity of the voice with which the film is constructed remains loud and clear. Additionally, it presents an approach to queer storytelling that explores the nuance and complexity of personal journeys that is often easy to overlook. The performances bring to life a remarkable portrayal of vulnerability as they explore ideas of love with heartbreaking honesty. The visual progression is equally stunning, painting for the viewer an image that will stay with you, linger, as it may, long after you are done watching the film.

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