The manner in which conflict comes to influence and mould human experience is unmistakable, and perhaps even grand in its grotesqueness. Another aspect that matches the scale of this control and power is art - perhaps the Yin to this Yang. Art in conflict-ridden areas comes to constitute the other inescapable and undeniable part of reality. The short film is an exploration and portrayal of this proposition. The documentary locates itself in Kashmir, a geographical space that has been ravaged by militancy, consequent violence and political tussles for over three decades now. The voices it brings within its fold to amplify its message are loud and clear, unequivocal and strong in the comments they want to make. This, in turn, allows the narrative not only a lucidity of thought, a clarity of communication, but also a poignancy that touches the very core of the viewer, irrespective of the side of the conflict they locate themselves on. Inherent to the film is another message for the optimistic viewer, one about the undeniable nature of art and the many ways in which it brings solace and comfort to many- be it in the form of a much-needed expression of grief, or a messenger for the views they want to share with society, in the form of hope that warms them amidst the stony coldness of a disturbing reality or in the clarion call it can potentially become for a revolution. Lastly, Raqs-e-Inquilab, or Dance of Revolution, achieves its final triumph in the very specific manner and tonality it adopts to tie art and conflict together, an endeavour that has been attempted previously as well by several storytellers, filmmakers and artists, but with few results as notable as this documentary film.

Raqs-e-Inquilab | Short Film of the Month

At first glance, the film is simply the story of a wooden stamp and her dreams and hopes. However, soon the narrative delves deeper and brings in a lovely comment about the idea of leaving behind a lasting imprint in your wake. The film's intentions thus come to be realized by combining the horizon of expectation set so far with the desire to be remembered in a manner that outlives your existence. 

As the skilled first-person voiceover is coupled with sophisticated visuals, together they invoke seamless poetry and beautiful lyricism. This, in turn, ensures that the portrayal and the progression of events remains efficient throughout. 

The plot development, color palettes and sound, all correspond to the same, ensuring that the entire creation comes together as a composite whole of several complementary parts, while simultaneously communicating its intentions lucidly to the viewer. The aesthetic and sense of calm it conjures is bound to stay with you long after you are done watching the film.

Ek Lakdi Thi | Short Film of the Month

The short film is essentially a conversation between two women who sit across each other as equals in a static, wide frame that serves to further accentuate this equality. However once you enter the universe of the film, you realise that they are far from being equals, separated from each other on the basis of their social location. Yet the two have managed to achieve a common plane as married women. Delivery Girl is an exploration of internalised patriarchy and how sometimes the biggest instruments of it are women themselves. It further draws attention to the fact that women are not the only victims of it, but men too suffer under a patriarchal set-up. Additionally, it reminds the viewer that gender equality is not an ideology to be believed in as long it's convenient to do so. The two women, played convincingly by Vaibhavi Upadhyay and Krutika Deo, communicate all of this to the viewer through a single conversation. However, despite being written beautifully and effortlessly, the predictability of the plot becomes a weakness of the film.

Delivery Girl  | Short Film of the Day

The film is marked by its silences more than dialogues, and in the process, offers a calm narrative - poignant, beautiful and engaging in equal measure. It is the story of a young writer who takes on petty jobs to help himself survive in the city, while continuing to scribble on his little notepad in between the dozens of chores he has to accomplish on a daily basis. One morning, stumbling across a pretty stranger, who seems to be reading the same poetry early in the morning he had fallen asleep to the previous night, he finds himself falling prey to a fluttering of the heart. The quietness of the film, also enriched by elegant camerawork, is broken only by a skilled voiceover that shares poetry about the matters of the heart. The things that are left unsaid carry the most crucial message in the narrative - one about an artist who finds himself at the margins of society, finding solace in a vast expanse marked only by a soul akin to his own kind, about falling in love and getting your heart broken. However, despite any or all obstacles, the pursuit of dreams, and hope, never truly ceases or loses its significance in human existence, and it is precisely this emphatic communication that becomes the final message that smoothly ties the conclusion together.

Roznama | Short Film of the Day

The video is a weaving together of beautiful visuals with soulful vocals by When Chai Met Toast. The story is of a young ballerina who struggles to make space for her art amidst her father's alcoholism, indifference and complete dismissal of her dance. The efficient cinematography does a perfect job of capturing the essence of the song with its hand-held visuals and intelligent use of lighting. From a dim house, where a young dancer's dreams are stifled, to the brightness of an open space where she finally allows herself to become the dancer she wants to be - the lighting and colour palette serve to supplement the narrative. With convincing acting, melodious music and seamless visuals, the video delivers a wholesome product.

Believe | Short Film of the Day

The narrative of ‘Van Gogh’ is notably marked by its vulnerability and intimacy. At its heart is the very debilitating struggle of the protagonist to come to terms with his feelings of inadequacy, and the resultant isolation. He constantly second-guesses his location in his relationships, as well as his creative pursuits. 

The film presents his many battles with his appearance, weight, insecurities, and emotional equations, with seamlessness. Relying more on action, and less on dialogue, it efficiently utilizes the protagonist’s portrayal to present a convincing and powerful narrative. 

The screenplay, editing, and writing all aid this endeavor, even if exhibiting a few snags in the department of sound. By invoking the conflicted identity of its namesake artist, the film weaves it all without devolving into a narrative that could have easily been threadbare and hackneyed, and it is perhaps in this that one of its core strengths lies.

Van Gogh | Short Film Nominee

Meraki, a Greek word with no English counterpart, refers to that part of an artist's being, their soul, essence, that they invest in their creative endeavor. Consequently, the horizon of expectation that the short film sets for you suggests an exploration of the creative process, the artist's relationship with his work, and perhaps, the completion of a project he is portrayed to be struggling with in the first few minutes of the film. 
However, the viewer is deliberately kept unaware of the deeply disconcerting events the narrative instead is moving towards. Yes, it will be a story about writing and creating, but would it be in the manner you expect it to be? 

As the protagonist's preoccupation with a twisted idea of creativity continues to overpower his relationship with writing, the film soon becomes a thriller that does not take refuge in the shadowy world of dim-lit visuals. Instead, this is a realm of sunlight and bright frames, allowing it to accentuate its core intentions. It is not a story marked by a single, grand act of violence per se on which rides everything, instead, it is its execution and the build-up leading to it that forms the most notable aspect of the film, further enabling it to achieve all that it had set out to.

Meraki | Short Film of the Day

The music video can be seen as a metaphor for the refusal to let go. As a girl tries to hold on to a balloon, she keeps losing it by accident, one balloon after another. However, once she manages to put together a whole bunch of them, she realises the futility of it all, and out comes a sharp pin. The video is beautifully shot with lovely cinematography and dreamy art direction. The colour palette for the visuals is made of baby pinks and powder blue, the pastels further enhancing the intrinsically soothing nature of the vocals and the music.

Underscore | Short Film of the Day

A little boy, equipped with his art supplies, makes his way to a quiet spot in the lap of nature. With mountains as his only companion, he sits down to paint the scene before him. While taking down the scene exactly as it is, he stumbles across a reality he might have missed at first glance. 
As this alters his approach to his surroundings in particular, and the natural world in general, the film’s core motivation is echoed seamlessly. Art and its communion with nature lead our young protagonist to a crucial understanding of his immediate reality, further emphasizing how some of the truest, most important lessons are found in a quiet interaction with nature, and not always in classrooms. 
While adults might sometimes miss this truth, the little boy is quick to grasp it. By giving a subtle reminder to protect and preserve nature, the film also emphasizes how being aware of one's relationship with the world can also deeply enrich our lives and experiences as people who inhabit it.

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