Two brothers, set apart by a medical condition and a fervent imagination. Two parents, differing on their ideals of their children’s upbringing, and their own temperament. In writer-director Alyssa Asaro’s 16:10-minute film, the world is simple. It is a regular, simple family, leading a routine life, but with the unexpected help of an ally. Known… Continue reading Fish Out Of Water: Mellow Look Into A Child’s Inner World
Category: Reviews
2125: A Quarantine Much Worse
2125, Sean Ian’s post-apocalyptic drama, shot as a digital diary, is set roughly 105 years into the future. Humanity appears to have been pushed to the brink of extinction in this 14-minute film, produced, written, directed, shot (on an iPhone), edited and acted by Ian. The choices seem apt and reflective, considering how the story… Continue reading 2125: A Quarantine Much Worse
La Jaula: The Cold, Clammy Vise Of Technology
La Jaula translates to the cage. Through their 2-minute film La Jaula, Spanish director duo Umbra proceeds on a metaphorical journey, looking at our inner realities in the eye, too close for comfort. It anchors itself in the era of technology, pondering on the nature of it, how we use it, and how much it… Continue reading La Jaula: The Cold, Clammy Vise Of Technology
Nene: A Moving Tribute To Someone Dearly Loved
A mother and son wait for the start of their journey. Miles away another mother prepares for the end of hers. Shown parallelly are two narratives in writer-director King Louie Palomo’s Nene, a film on life and its all-encompassing stories. A touching and a believable depiction of what must be several people’s real-life experiences, Nene,… Continue reading Nene: A Moving Tribute To Someone Dearly Loved
Anna: Skilful Depiction Of A Ukrainian Socio-Cultural Practise
“Because Ukrainian women have class and they are obedient”, she says without batting an eyelid. It takes a while for the audience to gulp down the open sexism and misogyny in Anna because it is so masterfully captured that the nauseating reality feels encompassing. Director-writer Dekel Berenson’s Anna isn’t easy to watch. It explores the… Continue reading Anna: Skilful Depiction Of A Ukrainian Socio-Cultural Practise
The Invitation (Die Einladung): The Horrors Of Fitting In
Thorsten Schade’s 24-minute Die Einladung, or The Invitation, follows a young, ambitious man as a business meeting brings him an invitation to dinner amongst an informally exclusive group. But this is a horror flick, so of course, there is more to it and not what said the man would like. Tom Renner (Orestes Fiedler) is… Continue reading The Invitation (Die Einladung): The Horrors Of Fitting In
Yearbook: A Poignant Short On Human History & Its Subsequent Futility
Contrary to the headline, writer-director Bernado Britto’s Yearbook is not dreadful or hopeless. In fact, if anything, it instils a new perspective and understanding to everything passing by our lives. An animated short, all of 5:38 minutes, Yearbook is the story of human history, a futuristic take on the present reality. The film opens to… Continue reading Yearbook: A Poignant Short On Human History & Its Subsequent Futility
Comfort Zone: An Intriguing Look At The Georgian Drag Community
Director Jordan Blady’s 7-minute Comfort Zone sheds light on the vibrant drag community at Tbilisi. A Georgian himself, Matt Shally, the subject of the documentary, offers such raw, personal insight into the community, their difficult-to-exist state and resilience of spirit to overcome society’s reluctance in accepting them, that it makes Comfort Zone a must-watch. Divided… Continue reading Comfort Zone: An Intriguing Look At The Georgian Drag Community
Dreamers: A Well Choreographed Screen Dance To Explain The DACA
TRIVIA: For those unaware, the DACA refers to the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals, an executive branch memorandum issued by the Obama administration to offer an extended time period from deportation to people brought into the States as a minor, whose presence might otherwise be considered unlawful. Started in 2012, the act was declared unconstitutional… Continue reading Dreamers: A Well Choreographed Screen Dance To Explain The DACA
The Strange Thing About The Johnsons: Sexual Abuse, Seen For The Horror It Is
Best known today for Midsommar and Hereditary, AFI Conservatory graduate Ari Aster’s horror-drama The Strange Thing About The Johnsons can perhaps be better understood today than it was ten years ago, on its release in 2011. As much as the film appears to be extreme to the point of absurd, on closer look, Aster has… Continue reading The Strange Thing About The Johnsons: Sexual Abuse, Seen For The Horror It Is