'Bridge' is not quick to reveal the truth of its world to you, and deliberately so. At first glance, it only offers a sense of unease, presented to us by a disoriented protagonist trying to gain his bearings. 

On this dark night, he meets strange characters - a terrified woman in the middle of nowhere, a man who is neck-deep in communal hate and violence and now wishes to barter his soul for a do-over in life, along with a famous musician. 

At the same time, the one man who could have removed him from this strange setting, a rickshaw puller, continues to ignore his very existence. The narrative moves forth, leaving subtle hints and suggestions regarding the direction it is headed in. The writing truly allows the plot to come into its own, eventually offering the film's core comment on existence, humanity and the mortal nature of life.

Bridge | Short Film Nominee

The first half of the film majorly relies on the action unfolding before you, steering clear of dialogue, to paint its world for the viewer. A man is at the heart of mysterious woods where strange creatures, all dressed in white, forbode imminent peril. As he tries to figure out this conundrum, another reality develops, one suggesting a limbo-esque region between life and death, a space that would alter his fate forever. 

The film employs the vast outdoors judiciously to share its story, evidencing potential in terms of storytelling. It further leaves the door open for more similar creative installments. As for the protagonist whose life now hangs in balance, a terrible development awaits, one from which there is no looking away.

Sheemi: The Dead Awaken | Short Film Nominee

The Soldier in the Trench is an intense film which bears heavily on the viewer from the beginning.
From its colour scheme to the gloomy conversations with a psychoanalyst, the film has
already begun to exhibit the intensity of its thematic concerns from the very first moment. 

The exchange of the two characters may strike a chord with the viewers. The fears, trials and
hopes of the human situation are the same. But few are pushed to the extreme of ending their life.
Akriti’s story is one such. 

The film relies predominantly on these conversations that unfold within a closed room. Here, the narrative doesn’t even allow them to move. While the actors try to transcend their space, and invoke ideas of happiness, pain, mental health and the general state of human existence in the process, the film could have gained from a more dynamic approach to their stationing.

The Soldier in the Trench | Short Film Nominee

The scene is set in a dark room where a man sits by himself. He is soon joined by another person, a woman, who holds the answers to many of his questions, if not all. In addition to engaging with the characters' concerns which has a revelation in store for the audience as well, the film also endeavours a homage to doctors and health workers all over the world, working towards keeping everyone safe and healthy, even at the cost of their own safety.

Death Room | Lockdown Film Challenge

A young man is up at dawn to make it in time for a job interview to a nearby village. On his journey to Khogol, he is first greeted by an ominous tea-seller. With his face hidden, his voice carries a foreboding the protagonist is quick to dismiss and move on. He meets yet another strange character on his path, but he continues to push forth either way. His destination is marked by a strange, shadowy corner, completely isolated and quiet except for the voice of one man, and all the secrets it carries. 

The end result, though marked by a few unstable visuals and lighting, is clear about all that it wants to communicate and portray. This, in turn, allows the narrative to present its ideas to the viewer with directness and lucidity.

Antechamber | Short Film Nominee

The narrative of I Allot Your Room is marked by a conversation between two people - a man and a woman. As the two discuss a few details, the viewer is first led to believe that this is perhaps a chat about a hotel booking he has made, and has now arrived to claim his room. However, the story soon develops to reveal a far more disturbing reality. An engagement is thus invoked with the ideas of death, afterlife, work and financial pressure and how it can sometimes lead one to make irrevocable decisions. Though the form of the story seems to subscribe more to that of a podcast than a film, the final product remains marked by storytelling and performances that exhibit competence and potential.

I Allot Your Room | Lockdown Film Challenge

Vast outdoors take you into the plot of Sinners Paradiso. Visuals soon develop to present a space where a group of people sit, waiting for something. The room is then revealed to be an in-between stop for the souls of the deceased as a decision is reached regarding whether or not they will be sent to heaven. Through the ensuing conversations between the myriad characters, the short narrative presents its comments to the audience. While none of them remember what exactly happened in the moment of their death, they all have expectations, ideas and opinions about the events unfolding before them. The aforementioned elements are then tied together as a whole for the viewer to engage with.

Sinners Paradiso | Short Film Nominee

The film makes a sincere effort to talk about the idea of moving on from a tragedy. Giving the viewer a glimpse into afterlife and what it comes to mean for a young man struggling with heartache, New Beginning, as its title suggests, puts forth the idea of overcoming your personal grief and allowing it to make you a new person.

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