The film, marked by its sombre palette, is essentially a quiet, unrushed conversation that the protagonist is having with the viewer. As it comes into its own, the tone continues to grow in intimacy, imbuing the film with honesty and candour, thereby making its subject matter universal. The protagonist takes you along the circuitous route of his introspection as well as his interactions with the world without - invoking ideas of existentialism, nihilism, isolation, loneliness, and the manner in which he is located amidst this ongoing tussle between the several forces of consciousness. The film is a solo-project, and thus very evidently exhibits a consistency of vision and progression with regards to the narrative. Finally, it closes with the image of a fragment of a broken bridge, the entire structure destroyed. And yet, the protagonist continues with his work on a computer, as if his immediate reality is not a sight of immense destruction and upheaval, as if nothing has happened, for despite everything else, it is something to do, it is one more stab at making loneliness or simply existence, less overwhelming a proposition. He is flanked by two of his loyal companions (his past selves? emotional baggages?) who never leave his side, who now continue to work at the concrete and stone structure with their equipment, leaving you with the resounding question - are they rebuilding it or taking it down further?

Sometimes I Think About Things, and Sometimes I Get Sad | Short Film of the Day

‘Dear Diary’ is the most lovely splash of colors, ideas, music, and well… old selves. The film is beautifully imagined and performed, with a visual grammar that is steadfast and consistent when it comes to the art and set design. The conciseness of the narrative, almost minimalist in its approach, does more to convey with simplicity than anything else. 
Not devoid of humor, the screenplay brings to life a deliberate, effervescent frivolity that works in its favor most remarkably. We are presented with a protagonist who takes us into her world by the hand. The primary doorway to this realm is the regrettable experiences that she documented in her beloved diary, experiences, and memories that she would now rather exorcise, as she shares herself. 
This journey from remembrance to sharing and acceptance to the eventual expression of the desire to expel them is covered keeping the approach carefully controlled, deliberately lean, and seamlessly entertaining throughout. It would be a wonderful prospect to see more projects and storytelling imagined and conceptualized in this manner.

Dear Diary | Short Film of the Day

Though complex at first glance, the narrative of the short film is direct and simple, but with an impactful message. It opens on a fairly harmless note which successfully beguiles the thrill and suspense it is eventually headed towards. A young woman clicks pictures by herself in Central Park. Running away from a life of relationships gone awry, and fearful in her body language and approach to her surroundings, she perhaps seeks an escape within the frames of her camera. However, soon a disturbing pattern emerges in her pictures, forcing her to truly confront the consequent events, yet all the while trying to hide behind objects and a transitory sense of shelter and safety. The narrative attempts a layered exploration of the protagonist in this manner, bringing in an engagement with the ideas of the self and identity. When she is finally faced with the truth, would she find it in her to accept the inevitable outcome? The film invokes all of these concerns and manages to provide their answers as well, while maintaining its crispness and brevity throughout.

Tourist Trap | Short Film of the Day

While the word Maya, also a woman's name, has several meanings in different traditions, cultures and languages, the one that stands out the most is its Sanskrit meaning - illusion. The word hence gains more significance in a film that is about a character's search for meaning, truth, an understanding of identity and the ability to feel something, especially when induced by a piece of art in a world that might otherwise seem illusory and beyond perceptible realities. Experimental in its approach, the film simply presents a single character, who sits by herself in a white room, before a painting, coveting the experiences of those who would have felt something at the sight of the creative expression before her. As she laments being deprived of these feelings, a further conversation is invoked on the aforementioned ideas, expressed through a narratorial voice coupled with the woman's bodily movements. She moves smoothly, covering the distance between herself and the painting, until she is before it. Reaching out to touch the painting allows the gesture to achieve an answer to the conundrums the audience has been presented with so far, along with a loud and resounding expression of self-love that ties the entire narrative together with a single sturdy thread.

Maya | Short Film Nominee

The documentary film is an account of the Soul Summit that has been taking place in Brooklyn since 2002. Though the frequency of its occurrence has dwindled since its inception close to two decades ago, the statement it aims to make is loud and clear - to be a safe haven for Black and queer expression. As dance, music and spirituality get intertwined in this space where all identities are not only welcomed, but also celebrated, the narrative further takes us into first hand experiences of the Summit attendees. Additionally, it manages to be an insightful glimpse into a realm that is marked by its independence of voice and the assertion of a coloured landscape in a gentrified neighbourhood. There is also the endeavour to engage with culture appropriation, the demand for a rightful space often denied to people of colour and minorities and the ease that is intrinsic to such an event or physical area, where people are truly allowed to be who they are, away from a world of oppression of several forms. At the heart of the film, thus, also lies an implicit plea to nurture and preserve these identities, especially in a world where conversations around race, sexuality and identity are increasingly making their presence felt. However it is presented employing a tone which is not despondent or aggressive, but instead one that involves art, celebration, hope and above all, sincerity and honesty.

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