The narrative of the film makes the most judicious and notable use of camerawork, coupled with sound, to conjure its story. A pre-teen girl is navigating ideas of sexuality, trying to locate her own relationship with her body and desire. Part of a household that is ravaged by divorce and parents who refuse to see each other eye-to-eye, she finds herself turning to books, peers and her own lived reality. Since the film is set in 1983, of course all this information is not simply a few web searches away on her smartphone. It's important to mention the year of the story also because it does a wonderful portrayal of a world away from the internet and technology, making the viewer forget that there might actually exist another reality. What stands out the most is the film's unique exploration of the sexual desires of an age group that rarely makes its presence felt in mainstream art and media. Add to it stellar performances by the young cast, and there is nothing in How Does it Start that will leave the viewer unimpressed after their engagement with the film.

How Does It Start | Short Film of the Day

A woman goes about her day, putting on a clean dress, and taking care of chores in the house. The visuals, however, are coupled with a sinister voice of a man who proclaims god-like truths, immediately making the viewer deeply uneasy. 

The woman, on the contrary, is comfortable, and in the process of preparing for something, a ritual perhaps for the Children of Enoch, the cult she is a part of. After the death of Father Enoch, the leader whose voice now echoes through the realm of the film pronouncing the cult's philosophies, and two of her companions, she awaits their resurrection on the sixth day. The film opens on the very day when, if the dead are not brought back to life, the watcher, the woman herself, must ‘join’ them in their ‘journey’. 

Long, fixed shots of the protagonist moving about in a house with notable ease that harbors three dead bodies, daintily dressed in her pale pink dress, ushers in the definitive horror inherent to the narrative. The subtlety of the horror, quiet but undeniable in its impact, becomes the most prominent strength of the film. The consequent, skillfully-handled narrative, further bolstered by equally remarkable performances, becomes powerful and disconcerting in its brevity.

The Watcher | Short Film of the Month

It’s Nora and Taylor’s last night in their home before the town is evacuated. While young Nora tries to come to terms with the world around her, a reality that seems to be imploding upon itself, and in the process, uprooting her life from one part, and forcing it into an entirely new, alien corner, her older sister is seemingly far from that in her emotional state. If embracing this truth ushers in a sense of emptiness, as also established in the title, alongside existential musing, on the one hand, it leads to blithely gay pursuits of something completely inane on the other. 

The film, in portraying this, presents an interesting contrast in how the two siblings approach the circumstance. If Taylor focuses on the immediate desires of partying with her peers, perhaps also encountering a romantic fling thrown in the mix, Nora feels her everyday concerns of school, friends, joining a sports team, even the pain of saying goodbye to her home, grow more and more diminutive in the face of what seems to be impending doom. 

The narrative thus offers an intimate, meaningful engagement with a reality where large-scale evacuations alter the course of the day like a slight change in the weather, and yet, little things like pursuing a crush at a party seem bigger than the world ending sometimes. The same contrast is echoed in the conflict that develops between the two sisters by way of a narrative and plot that is constructed with care and control. The final result becomes an engagement with a single moment that remains nuanced, layered, and deeply heartfelt, alongside an equally seamless visual progression and screenplay.

Most of the Time We Are Just Waiting | Short Film of the Day

‘Julian’ is a wonderfully entertaining exploration of familial dynamics. It presents a ridiculously bizarre circumstance, a woman deeply and delusionally in love with a fruit, to talk about one of the most universally common aspects of our social structures, conflicted sibling equations. 

Brynn is a seemingly successful pediatrician, in a healthy, supportive relationship. However, her loving partner is juxtaposed against Marlow, her “toxic”, by her own acceptance, sister. As the party of three meets for a reconciliation meal, things continue to get out of control in quick succession. 
The film is intelligent in its brevity, ensuring that the leanness of the narrative works in its favour, keeping you involved in the plight as well as the antics of its characters throughout. Additionally, the story has its heart in the right place, ensuring that it closes with an unexpected, but undeniable, sense of warmth and wholesomeness.

Julian | Short Film of the Month

The scene is set for a Christmas party when the host realises that her mother has been missing for three hours. Additionally, the story of a recent engagement of a peer and clues about her whereabouts are explored parallelly. The film offers a convincing and sincere exploration of familial ties that consist of high-strung relatives, sibling tensions and identifying and locating familial dynamics of care and concern despite all conflict. It further does a notable job of providing moments of comedic drama despite the tragedy that might potentially be unfolding for the family. Additionally, it is refreshing to see an all-female space that makes no attempt to make its presence felt, but simply exists as an attempt to invoke a normative reality that an otherwise male-dominated screen space might unwittingly omit.

Kim Bush’s Abduction | Short Film of the Day

The beautifully captured all-female space of Hermana (Sister) brings to life an otherworldly charm, sensual and visceral, elegant and sophisticated, all at the same time. The shadows and dim-light of the opening visuals, marked by flower wreaths and crowns, made lovingly by a daughter for her mother and sister, reenforce the existence of our characters in an ethereal world, a parallel realm of sorts where only the three reign true and free. However, amidst the many folds of this meticulously constructed space rests a disconcerting unease which is impossible to shake off. The viewer is fully aware that despite the calm constituted by the several objects on screen, as well as by the measured and quiet manner of the little family itself, the space is far from being an idyllic haven. The first certainty is accentuated in the form of a little inversion of a smile, a slight droop of the shoulders in the opening sequence itself. After spending hours to prepare a birthday dinner for her mother, when our protagonist still finds her plans far from attaining perfection, the disappointment is loud and clear. When despair of foiled attempts meets envy, it is the latter that eventually comes to color and overwhelm the relationship of the two sisters. While one is loving, open, unsuspecting, unaware of any sentiment of this kind wriggling its way into their equation, the other is angry, conflicted and determined to act on the very emotion. Hermana does a skilled job of delineating all of the several intricacies of a sibling-bond where one dark hue threatens to overpower the love it could have stood for. In the process, the film, a story of two sisters, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Spanish countryside, becomes a compelling portrayal of the many dynamics of the familial space - from envy-tinged equations of affection and compassion to the close bond of intimacy and violence. The emotions are, thus, rendered unmistakably palpable for the viewer, drawing them deeper and deeper into the narrative up to a point of no return.

Hermana | Short Film of the Day

There is something otherworldly, almost supernatural, about two women sitting in shadows, meticulously working on a piece of art. If you would have disagreed with this premise so far, this short film is here to change your mind in the most convincing manner. Choosing to locate its story a few decades into the future, the plot deals with the endeavours of two sisters to sell their figurines on a live stream online. The approach it adopts to share their story is experimental and therefore it would be erroneous to try to pin it down to a single genre. It further invokes memories, an idea of the past that suggests loss and tragedy, and yet, there is an undeniable sense of hope that comes to pervade the narrative, to dominate any apprehensions or anxieties that might have preceded it. By Prudence exhibits a sincerity of storytelling, a pathos which is hard to overlook. It is further translated magically on screen by the strong performance of its two-member cast, ensuring that the film is a successful whole with a mystic, abstract charm.

By Prudence | Short Film of the Day

The opening of the film is set is an intimate, cozy space where two girls discuss makeup and evening plans. The eventual introduction to Eleanor and Alyssa also brings with it a sense of nervousness and trepidation that suffuses the atmosphere palpably. The evening develops to reveal the reason behind it all, thereafter presenting the viewer with its underpinnings and motivations. The film becomes a story of female bonding, sisterhood, along with a young girl's experience of finally confiding in her sister about her sexual orientation. While the outing may have begun on a note of unease, the narrative covers the journey to take it to a moment marked by an emotion that is on the other end of the spectrum. Through the process of portraying the anxiety of wanting to be liked, loved and accepted, all the intentions are laid bare before the viewer in a simple, direct manner. Achieved with a lean cast and crew, the endeavor is notable in its desire and sincerity to share the story, leaving the door open for more such product by the young team.

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