Don't you love it when a film draws you in with a certain perspective and then leaves you disoriented with its true intentions? Gigging does something similar for the unprepared (and perhaps unwitting) viewer by positing itself as a documentary on the lives and times of innumerable professionals across the US who somehow manage to stay afloat by picking up whatever little work projects that come their way. Of course the strongest tool the narrative employs is satire, but it would be unfair to confine all its achievements to a single word. There are comedic punches in the most unexpected ways that adopt the most unexpected tone making the viewer pause and wonder if they have been tricked into swallowing an insight they did not even see coming their way. The film takes you into the lives of three characters, a cab driver, a freelance content creator and a dog-walker. As their work days turn into the most absurd and unforgettable misadventures, humour does prove to be the most powerful tool to critique society and its several problematic aspects. From exploitation that makes you rationalise and internalise it (a character expresses gratefulness at not having health insurance because it keeps him extra vigilant about his health. Umm...?), to employers who are perhaps in situations as pitiable as the freelancers themselves (a fledgeling start-up ending up with a logo that has strong phallic overtones) - the short film brings it all in its narrative to put forth a film that is hilarious, engaging and unabashed in its analysis of the subject matter.

Gigging | Short Film of the Day

Based on a short story by Stig Dagerman, The Man Who Wouldn't Cry is a wonderful union of pastel colors, satire, absurdity, the skewed standards of society, and a hapless protagonist who finds himself at the receiving end of it all.
After the passing of a famous actor, Henrietta, an ad agency is consumed by their public (and perhaps borderline histrionic) display and expression of grief. To the viewer, this expression remains markedly superficial and disingenuous, meant more as a performance and outward appearance than bona fide sorrow.
 Martin, an illustrator at this agency, does not subscribe to the said practice. Needless to say, this does not sit well in a world that is determined to make everyone part of the same herd, be it in the form of social media opinions, or the reputation of an ad agency which eventually comes to pivot on Martin's grief (or the lack of it thereof). 
 As the film portrays all of these thematic concerns, it comes to exhibit unique storytelling and a refreshing, exciting approach. There is further a mirror held up to those disconcerting aspects of society that are so resolved to make someone grieve, a man who is deeply uncomfortable with sharing his emotions in the presence of others, that they indeed force him to the point of tears, albeit for reasons far beyond their comprehension. The world of the film is beautifully constructed, with each performance exhibiting finesse and sophistication. This is tied with the dreary reality of Martin's world, not vastly different from our own of social media updates and online documentation, delineated through the choice of fun, perky shades, but those that only serve to accentuate the contrast between Martin's internal and external reality further.

The Man Who Wouldn't Cry | Short Film of the Day

The world of the film is seductive, alluring, but surreptitiously so. It is a world where women run their own metaphorical 'club', echoing in its title a subversion of the 'boys ' club' of our contemporary reality. However, the reality they conjure for the men involved is no less horrifying for it involves women eating their male counterparts after having sex with them, quite literally. 

When seventeen-year-old Zack gets asked out on a date by a much older woman, he is immediately surrounded by a charge of well-meaning men, spearheaded by Moe, who attempt to talk him out of it. There are Bachelors Anonymous meetings, cries of celibacy and the outright rejection of the violence inflicted by women on men in the pursuit of convincing Zack to cancel his date. However the desire for love, intimacy and hope remains triumphant over all fears and doubts for our meek, wide-eyed protagonist. 

The dark comedy holds back no punches in sharing its ideas on misogyny, patriarchy and the power dynamics of heteronormative equations, providing an insightful social commentary in the process. And yet, it never veers off its course of a dark comedy, eschewing refuge in an overbearing or didactic tone, thereby making its messaging more impactful. As for the characters and their fate, while the men may have already painted a picture of women and their evil nature for Zack (a part of the fictive narrative which holds disturbingly true for the real world as well), would he eventually find love, or simply another predator awaiting to devour its prey?

Mantis Club | Short Film of the Month

A desperate intern, an exploitative senior, a vain television show host, a corrupt pharmaceutical company, a conscientious professor, and an existentialist, indifferent author - all of these myriad elements constitute the world of ‘Daily Bread’. The film presents an interesting, tense, and drama-packed crossroads of its several components. Their journeys and the eventual convergence takes place during a live television show where an intensely divisive topic is up for conversation. 

A pharmaceutical corporation has developed a medication that claims to bolster immunity to previously unencountered levels. However, when questioned by its detractors, the company’s representative on the show is unable to provide any transparency on what truly constitutes the medicine or a concrete defense for the lack of inclusiveness in their customer base which is defined by privilege. Amidst the heated argument and the underlying stressors that involve the host as well, little do the participants realize that a far more violent and shocking development is awaiting them right around the corner. 

The narrative offers a zealous effort in roping the many layers within its screenplay and visual progression, coupled with satire and ironic humor. Even if some punches fall a little short of going the entire distance, the end result manages to tap into the swiftly devolving situation, chaotic and overwhelming, to finally tie all loose ends together into a composite whole.

Daily Bread | Short Film of the Day

Who does not love a well-written satire that aims to dismantle the monolithic idea of heroism associated with white men that continues to erase and overlook the bloody history that constitutes its foundation? Or simply put, if you have led yourself to this mockumentary of a film, consider it a wise decision. Artfully constructed with slapstick comedy of the misadventures of two nineteenth century explorers, the film is a treat that serves a dual purpose - draw your attention to several problematic aspects of society, while also providing a lighthearted break from the said society and its problems. The chemistry between it's only two actors is the main character of the film, a narrative marked by the source material in the form of citations and sources that await the viewer at the end. Of course their sacrosanct authenticity further helps to drive the message home - a powerful, relevant comment in the garb of humour. The film keeps you engaged and entertained throughout, while also leaving you with the desire for more and the door open with the promise of subsequent chapters in the story. Here's an important history lesson, make sure to not miss it.

Clark and Lewis | Short Film Nominee

In a sterile world of colorless pipes with a deeply questionable origin, much to to the identity of the corporation that owns them, Mush operates as the be-all and end-all of people's dietary supplies. Within the corporation exist strict hierarchies of power, also determining which color of Mush is made available to its employees for their lacklustre meals. The story truly begins when a level one employee, Marcus is promoted to level seven under the leadership of a seemingly underage manager. While navigating the power structures of his new position, he stumbles across another strange, previously unencountered object in his own backyard - a tomato. Unsure of what the item truly is, describing it as a flower of sorts hanging from the plant, clearly having only been familiar with mush as a meal, his world gets a welcome surprise of tasting a fruit for the first time, and yet, the structures he moves and functions within might not be as welcoming of it. The narrative of the film invokes all of these underpinnings by satirising the closely regulated workplace hierarchies, the inner functionings of a big corporation, young upstarts given crucial professional positions and of course, the complete control of a truth narrative by a handful custodians of power.

Mush | Short Film Nominee

Here's a brief glimpse into a project of longer length that aims to combine humor and horror to bring to life a tale of blood-thirsty clamps. Yes, you read it right - clamps, and they are out for your blood (and more). The short video ropes in punches and kicks to conjure a world whose fate rests in the hands of a scientist, a police officer and a girl who is the first to encounter these deadly beings in this town. The narrative does not take itself too seriously as it introduces us to more victims, slowly leading us to the moment of the big reveal - when our trio figures out their most potent weapon against this gory onslaught - water. While the story is absurd and, perhaps because of it, entertaining, the colors and the lighting of the visuals show a want of closer attention. Overall, however, the trailer keeps you involved until its conclusion, leaving it up to the viewer to decide whether or not our chosen heroes would be up to the role of saving the world. As clamps and humans are pitted against one another, who would truly win this war of survival?

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