A wonderful short film by Girliyapa, Kanika is a poignant take on a type of crime most prevalent in India. The narrative builds up gradually, taking its time, yet keeping the viewer glued all along. As it progresses, you realise that, in the most disturbing manner, it's far from what you expected. What starts off as a romantic story of two seemingly star-crossed lovers soon takes a disconcertingly dark turn at the climax. The film's production quality and the mature handling of a very intense subject deserve a special mention. Also backed by skilled cinematography and a strong voiceover, Kanika will definitely stay with you long after you've watched it.

Kanika | Short Film of the Day

With disturbing data that suggests one in every three women in the world has been sexually or physically abused at some point, this short film by UN Women makes a strong case for women's rights. The simple weaving of visuals of different situations are sufficient to convey how unsafe women are at work, in public spaces and at home. Lakeer raises a very important question - where do we draw the line when it comes to violence against women? With a coherent and sophisticated narrative, further coupled with good acting and visuals which are disturbing without even bordering on voyeurism, the short film becomes the kind of content the world needs.

Lakeer | Short Film of the Day

Samskara translates to 'impressions' - something around which the whole narrative of the film would come to pivot. The visuals make the most skilled use of hand-hold shots and dimly lit frames to build up the tension and suspense of the characters. The viewer is able to participate in it, owing to the manner in which they are weaved. The narrative also makes an expert use of parallel narratives. The reason it works visually and manages to drive its point home most convincingly is because of the seamless editing. The film is an exploration of the extent of the effect of abuse and how entrapping childhood trauma can be. The exploration also justifies the title - the cyclical nature of life, constituted by an external repeat of internal impressions.

Samskara | Namit Das

When a film begins with a trigger warning to not continue if you're a sensitive viewer, of course you will watch it till the very end. However, minus cheap thrills, sensationalism or reverse psychology, Suno is a piece of art which is skilled in itself to catch your attention and keep you engaged throughout. Definitely not meant for viewers who are quick to respond to trauma, both emotional and physical, the short film approaches the topic of consent in the most poignant manner and introduces them to what could be a potential beginning of abuse. It goes on to portray how patriarchy and internal conditioning can lead men and women to view the same situation in drastically different ways. The powerful writing, when coupled with expert performances by the two actors, puts across a moving message about how even loving, well-intentioned people can neglect their partners, blur the lines of consent and live in denial themselves, while conveniently ignoring its consequences. The short film deserves especial mention in which the narrative builds and sustains itself. The climax, a convincing scene by Vyas and Puri, is precisely the conversation all couples need to sit down and pay attention to, for indeed, not everything can be placed in neat black and white categories.

Suno | Short Film of the Day

The short film is not for the fainthearted. It offers the most disturbing picture of a marriage where an alcoholic man abuses his wife sexually, physically and mentally. The film further explores the extent to which such a dysfunctional familial space is capable of impacting a child. It portrays rage, an inability to express that anger and the outlets all this repressed and denied fury would eventually find. It is also an endeavour to glimpse into the mind of a rapist - from his first attempt when he is unsure and scared of the consequences to the brazen fearlessness and glorying in his crimes as conquests, marked by their own war trophies. Adwaita further shows how one individual can set in motion an entire cycle of hate and anger and how hard it is for another to break out of it. As black and white mingle to give way to grey territories with no fixed notions of right and wrong, viewers should be warned, once again, that the short film is only meant for an audience which has a stomach for the disturbing, squalid realitites of this world.

Adwaita | Short Film of the Day

On 10th January, 2017, Gudiya was abducted to never return home. What soon followed came to be known as the Kathua rape, an act so vile and brutal that it shook the conscience of the nation. However, a year later, as the headlines of violence against women continue to flow, what has truly changed, or so asks this short film. It sews together a series of linked visuals to draw attention to incidents of brutal acts committed against women in India in the recent past. This is made more disconcerting by the voiceover which is done by a child's scared voice. From Gudiya to Nirbhaya, from the fear of walking down a dark street or sitting alone in a cab to a mother's hesitation to send her daughter to school - the cycle simply stays in motion. As the news lingers in our head, the fear gets carried over to the new year, leaving us with the question - akhir iss naye saal mei naya kya hai?

Kathua’s Gudiya | Short Film of the Day

The world of ‘Incognito’ is squalid and defined by seedy endeavors involving non-consensual porn and trafficking. A receptionist at a hotel has installed secret cameras in a room and the adjoining bathroom to capture intimate acts of couples. These videos are then uploaded on porn sites by him. However, this secret trade one day leads him to the unearthing of deeply troubling truths from which there is no looking away. As he gets involved deeper and deeper into the schemes of a pimp and his exploits pertaining to a woman, a far terrible reality awaits him. <img src="https://i.imgur.com/r9vFSHVl.png"/> <img src="https://i.imgur.com/E7grvxkl.png"/> <img src="https://i.imgur.com/jRbk3FMl.png"/> <img src="https://i.imgur.com/mGyBXAfl.png"/> The film employs economy of dialogue, allowing much of the drama to unfold simply by way of visuals. There is further efficient use of the same physical space to achieve it all. At the film's conclusion rests a swift unraveling of events, and deliberate arbitrariness in the manner in which the subsequent pieces fall. What it would mean for the fate of the characters thus becomes an interesting question that the narrative attempts to answer at the end of it all.

Incognito  | Short Film of the Month

Kay Kay Menon is easily the best part of the film. The intention comes at a close second. Sparsh is about the beauty of kindness and all that it's capable of. In the process, it also reveals the consequences of its absence - how the cycle of hate and pain is a tough one to break out of. As it gradually concludes into a fade out, the sensitive viewer might feel a little tug at the heart. However despite its attempts, the film does not deliver all that it promises. It consists of several hits and misses - hits in the form of writing and thought, and misses in the form of the execution of that thought.

Sparsh | Short Film of the Day

Long drives on empty roads, accompanied by loud, upbeat music and the occasional deafening noise of blaring truck horns, is what constitutes a regular night on a highway. The wide, lonely expressway greets its travellers with delicious food of roaside dhabbas and a handful of interesting stories to remember. 

Similar is the case for an ageing, overworked lorry driver who gives a lift to a young, chatty sex worker one night. In the first half of their drive, she tries to turn him into a patron by working information of available rooms and her pricing into the conversation. The driver simply replies with stern looks and silence. When they both eventually get off at a dhabba, the young girl moves on to find other potential customers. She states the rate to them, gulping down the food offered to her, but soon enough things turn ugly. 

As the rest of the night develops, we are introduced to a brutal reality of a world where it is often the familial, domestic space itself which exposes women and young girls to abuse in all its grotesque forms. This assertion is further proven true as the girl before us completes an entire journey that begins with her chirpiness and an expert handling of her trade, only to reveal a life of betrayal, cruelty and the desperate need to survive. However, as the two characters head towards the final stop, the film unpacks its layers gradually, allowing the viewer an uplifting, hopeful message that rests patiently within its conclusion.

Most Viewed

Genres

Awards

Follow Us

Quick Links