‘Youth’ is a lovely conversation with the sharpness of pain we specifically associate with our firsts, or the years that would eventually go ahead to serve the foundation of adulthood. It is an interaction with a fresh heart that is perhaps yet to see its share of tragedies. All of this is mapped against the intimacy of friendship, and consequently, the soul crushing realization that comes with its deprivation. 

As we are taken into a single afternoon when two girls say their goodbyes, the circumstance comes to be defined by anger, denial and helplessness. Additionally, locating itself in the late nineties, there is further a texture added to the narratorial development, while also emphasizing a time before the internet and social media have made their inevitable appearance on the horizon of urban lives. 

Sarah and Jessica share an endearing friendship, one that faces a crucial crossroads. The film does a sophisticated job of allowing the viewer to witness this moment, along with all the poignancy that it entails.

Youth | Short Film of the Day

‘Solo’ is a film that unfolds more within the silence it presents, than any dialogue or verbal exchange. A man has arrived at a school for his daughter’s interview that would determine whether or not she would be able to secure a spot at this mighty institution. It involves a musical performance as the father waits outside the room. The image of a father taking a step back, as uneasy as it might have left him, to allow his daughter to take her first steps in the world without him, the image of this wait, marked by trepidation and uncertainty, becomes not only crucial to the story but also pronounces the film's primary preoccupation. 
The vastness of the building’s architecture is set against the diminutive presence of the quiet father-daughter duo, hesitant and a little unsure of their surroundings, but determined in their resolve. One of the only words we hear a character articulate is the young daughter’s understandable nervousness at the prospect of giving a performance that would determine her future at the school. The audience is never made privy to the assurance she gets in return. However, the screenplay, performance, and narratorial construction ensure that its effect is conveyed and realized with full effect. 
The short film, in the process, explores a moment suspended in time, and pivots on an equation defined by unselfish affection and love, portrayed most notably by the protagonist’s own discomfort and unease in a surrounding he is not at all familiar with, alongside the brave face of conviction he puts on for his daughter.

Solo | Short Film of the Day

The film opens with a troubled reality, and located at its centre is Saurabh, a man who battles several burdens of longing, separation, and grief. Between visuals of a happier past and a present that is far removed from it, the story is conjured for the viewer. It is one about parenthood, and its many aches if a father is denied that role. 

Now separated from his daughter, Kriti, he attempts to find a way back to her by stepping into the world of a sci-fi story she once wrote and shared with him. Much of the action unfolds by way of long, sustained visuals, devoid of all dialogue. 

The screenplay is constructed thoughtfully. The choice of the background score elevates it further, ensuring that the few raw edges in terms of visuals are easier to overlook. The storytelling further leverages the power of AI to bring all of it to life, while ensuring its voice remains clear and well-defined all along.

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