‘Afterbirth’ offers a narrative that ties history and politics with poetry and domesticity. The path to realize these thematic concerns is weaved with care as the film captures a tumultuous moment of public strife, one that also reflects the emotional and mental strife of two people unable to find fulfilment in this world, and yet seeking it relentlessly. 

Through Tani and Nator, the film not only presents its philosophical preoccupations, but further questions the traditional nature of marriage and the restrictive norms it often entails. In Tani, we see an intelligent woman who is unhesitant in asserting her views and desires, even if it sometimes means calling out the escapism and denial of a man she is deeply in love with despite, and perhaps, even because of it. 

The film deftly employs soft, diffused visuals, invoking an otherworldliness, even if showing a want of slightly more control, to bring its reality to life. The portrayal of its characters and the storytelling remain noteworthy elements, along with writing being a standout characteristic, ensuring that you stay with the plot and its many layers right till the very end.

Afterbirth | Short Film Nominee

Society forces individuals, especially women, into fixed moulds of what it considers to be the normative. The consequent pressure often leads many to a constant, internal struggle of who they want to be and who they are expected to be. This chaos adversely affects every aspect of their personality - from their dreams and hopes to day-to-day life. The short film endeavours an engagement with all of these issues by employing the story of its protagonist - a woman who finds herself completely isolated from everything she truly desires or cares for. It is further an attempt to bring to life an instance of psychological fracture when one's lived reality becomes unbearable to the point of being extremely oppressive. This is conveyed on screen by means of narration, put together with the woman's life as she moves from one task to another, smoking cigarette after cigarette. However, amidst the struggle and the constant battle with herself as well as those around her, will she ever be allowed a space to be who she truly is?

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