Oran Zegman knows how to play with narrative tension. And as she demonstrates with the subject at hand, she knows sincerity pays, far more than any disingenuous dramatic turn ever could. At the centre of her 10-minute short Mel and Ruby are two friends, one trying to get through an abortion with the least amount… Continue reading Mel and Ruby: Compassionate, Masterful Illustration Of Humanity
Tag: Drama
West Winds: An Emphatic Take On Isolation, Uncannily Timed With The Pandemic
It is hard to pinpoint the success of a film to a singular event. It is even harder to not pin it onto the most overriding aspect of its filmmaking that establishes this. But, in Matthew Thomas Ross’s West Winds, there is something for everyone. Whether you are an audiophile or an aficionado of visual… Continue reading West Winds: An Emphatic Take On Isolation, Uncannily Timed With The Pandemic
Him & Her: Visceral & Raw, Chekhov’s Short Story Finds A New Lease Of Life
It is hard to imagine, much less believe that Chekhov’s ‘He & She’ could ever be translated for the screen. A story with no real narrative, its voice, however guttural, is hard to capture. Two lovers, and their marriage that becomes the specimen under the lens is subjected to naked assessment. Nameless as they remain, their… Continue reading Him & Her: Visceral & Raw, Chekhov’s Short Story Finds A New Lease Of Life
Butterflies: The Many Ways Of Surviving The Jungle Of High School
If there is one lesson you can take away from Cady McClain’s 14-minute Butterflies, it is the value of adapting and evolving. Told through the eyes of a bullied biracial girl, Melanie, the film demonstrates both the agony of being at the receiving end of senseless torment, and the need to stand your ground. Melanie… Continue reading Butterflies: The Many Ways Of Surviving The Jungle Of High School
Truth, Incorporated: Only Rebels Can Start A Revolution
Starring Carlotta Summers, Miles Lobo, Charles Ouda, Mitchell McCoy, Logan McCoy and Zachary Guttman. In this 8:38-minute, what director Gabriel Barreto essentially presents is the reality. Although conceptualised as a dystopian world, the happenings are far too close to home to be mistaken. Governments have turned into corporations. Public welfare is a sham, and to… Continue reading Truth, Incorporated: Only Rebels Can Start A Revolution
I’m Not My Body: Powerful Performances Elucidate The Perils Of Spyware
So powerful is Nima Akbarpour’s 24:30-minute I’m Not My Body that it takes long, much long, for it to leave one’s system. Minutes after the credits roll and Mim Rasouli’s haunting composition interlays with the stunning underwater visuals, one is left wondering at the profound complexity that was I’m Not My Body. Seldom have shorts of… Continue reading I’m Not My Body: Powerful Performances Elucidate The Perils Of Spyware
My Father My King: Fatherly Love Put To Test
In writer-director Tom Pickard’s 15-minute short, what starts off looking like a post-pandemic dystopia, quickly shows itself to be a tragedy on a very personal level. But My Father My King belies the complexity of its set-up, taking its audience by complete surprise with its final reveal. Founded on a basis of family drama, this… Continue reading My Father My King: Fatherly Love Put To Test
Lost Bond: Clinical Depression Has A Face
This multi-directed (Harry Boulton, Gabriel Goss & Jude Wakeley) 12:42-minute short feels too close for comfort. By accurately portraying the face of clinical depression, what Lost Bond does is, raise the bar. Far too many films have been made on this subject with each offering its own unique take. But, in this one, it not… Continue reading Lost Bond: Clinical Depression Has A Face
Piece Of Me: An Accurate, Heartfelt Portrayal Of Alzheimer’s
Everything about writer-director Bruna Cabral’s Piece of Me feels tender. Like the tulips Mrs Brooks talks of, like the innocent glances she exchanges with her young friend, like the witty repertoire she encourages, the 19-minute short feels immersed in the beauty of the little things of life. Which is why then, when the film transverses… Continue reading Piece Of Me: An Accurate, Heartfelt Portrayal Of Alzheimer’s
RedFlag: Dramatic Short On Domestic Abuse
Countless books and films have explored this theme. Many have gone on to diversify and dramatise its endings. Few more have stretched it into feature lengths. So what makes Prakash Paudel’s 10-minute RedFlag different from the rest? RedFlag’s focal point is on the mother whose domestic life is hell on fire, thanks to an abusive—possibly… Continue reading RedFlag: Dramatic Short On Domestic Abuse