Trigger Warning: violence, assault, lynching 

The film presents a hard-hitting comment on society, and the violence and cruelty humankind is capable of. The narrative starts in a seemingly harmless manner, with a tone defined by sibling banter and exchange. The older brother lives in the city, and now, as he visits his village, he shares his experiences with his sister. The mood, however, darkens very swiftly as a group of young men begin to notice them, assuming them to be a romantic couple. As they draw more and more attention to this unsuspecting duo, a terribly brutal reality unfolds, which is portrayed with skill and strong performances. The screenplay conjures visuals which are sure to stay with the viewer for a long time. The film’s story models itself on a real-life incident to drive home the message about the brutal nature of mob violence, and the sadism that remains inherent to it.

Omanuh | Spotlight

The film is not easy to watch because of the hard-hitting subject matter it engages with. However, it ties this engagement with a brutality that not only forces the viewer to not look away but also sit up and pay closer attention. Right from the opening scene, a world of gender inequality is established where a woman officer has to fight battles that a man in her position would never have to. In addition to the battles at home in her marriage, she has to put up with the harassment of a male colleague, finding just as strong and relentless adversaries in the life outside of the home as well. 

The narrative ropes in notable musical choices to build its drama by the entry of a second woman, one who presents a powerful monologue and lays bare the many ways society exploits, harasses, and casually dishes out cruelty to women. The comments it makes are lucid and straightforward and manage to communicate all of the film’s intentions, especially by way of powerful performances.

Dhwani | Spotlight

The film offers a very unabashed, direct glimpse into the extremely patriarchal world women inhabit, and the subsequent sexism they have to deal with on a daily basis. It presents the many statements that are made in the context of women’s safety, and then goes ahead to display the absurdity of it all. 

The ensuing narrative questions the location of men in a society that refuses to hold them accountable, simply putting all checks and balances on women, instead of looking for corrective measures for the problem itself. The characters played by the various actors are convincing, and even though the narrative is direct and simple, not venturing into the space of nuance and grey territories, it achieves precisely what it has set out to do - raise awareness and draw attention to a compelling issue.

Nazarbattu | Short Film Nominee

The narrative does a notable job of sustaining an elemental suspense at every step. The story is of a single night when a woman is trying to get home to her daughter. The lateness of the hour ensures that her fear for her safety remains all-pervasive. In the process, the film thus brings to life the reality of any average woman who constantly looks over her shoulder to see whether or not she is being followed. However, our protagonist has learnt to not cower down, and instead fight back even in the face of overpowering fear, and it is perhaps the same values that would be passed on to her daughter. Additionally, there is a suggestion of help being available in the form of concerned men as well in a world which is rife with crooks and ruffians of all kinds. Tying all of these components together as a complete whole allows the film to present itself to you in the form of the final product.

Just Another Day | Short Film Nominee

A little girl cries in darkness while a homeless man devours food he has procured by means unknown to the viewer. While the former becomes an image of turmoil and innocence, the latter carries with it a sense of something being deeply amiss. 

 The girl longs for her father after the recent divorce of her parents, and in her agony, slips out of the house looking for him in the loneliness of the night. The world is often very unkind to the weak and unprotected as is proven true in the case of the child as well. 

 The film aims to conjure a story of abduction, assault and violence inflicted on children by a grown man, all the while reminding the viewer that reality might not always be what it seems. The predator may lurk in a corner we might have dismissed as one marked by safety, while a saviour and protector might be someone you least expected to be thus at first glance, underlines the plot.

Theera Nisi | Short Film Nominee

The film is imaginative, dystopian as well as real. The fable of The Little Red Riding Hood inspires the
story. The temporality of the film is perhaps deliberately kept ambiguous to imply that not much has changed since the
time of the lore to the present when it comes to the violence inflicted upon women. The wolves spare no
one, neither the little Red Riding Hood, nor her grandmother. There is, even today, no country for women. The narrative aims to drive this message home by bringing in a sense of dystopia, thrill, dark fantasy, horror and violence.

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