The short film attempts a strong and relevant comment on a society which is fixated on consumerism and generating financial wealth at the cost of the suffering of innumerable, unheard voices. While the rich get richer, the hapless plight of so many continues. Toyhouse uses an object as innocent as a toy to draw attention to the murky reality underneath it. It packs strong performances but runs into the danger of spiralling into vagueness. Nevertheless, it leaves the viewer with a moving picture of the struggle to survive in a world where power is confined and controlled by the moneyed class.

Toyhouse | Short Film of the Day

Our first interaction with the story is an interaction with a moment of crisis. Something crucial is unfolding for the protagonist, something we would only be allowed a suggestion of without truly knowing what went wrong. However, the moment, and the woman’s comforting whoever the person is on the other side of her phone screen, is sufficient to reveal to us everything that it entails. 

After meeting the homemaker at the heart of a marriage which gives her little comfort or solace, we are allowed a clearer understanding of the tribulations that afflict her life. It is only when the viewer finds out who the recipient of all her phone calls is, that the film’s intentions are made lucid for us. In the process, an important message about mental health, the isolation of depression and the desperate need to simply find a kind friend is pronounced for the audience.

The Confidant | Short Film of the Day

The short film is short, crisp and notable in the message it wants to leave the viewer with. It is also titled smartly, deliberately making the viewer pause and wonder - why is washing hands different for women than men? As one might grapple with the doubt, it soon reveals the reason behind this. The lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has ensured a disturbing rise in cases of domestic violence against women. Since women's experience of a quarantine is different from the majority of their male counterparts, won't their requirements from the process of washing their hands would be different too? The film has an answer and an explanation for the same.

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