The Last Order is a lockdown short that tries to grapple with and unravel a facet of the unprecedented, perplexing circumstances
we’re in. 
The film chooses a subject that evokes pity from all of us – lockdown birthdays. Whether you’re
an introvert or not, the thought of being forced to spend your birthday all alone, shut away from the world, is a unanimously
dreaded thought. 
A woman orders a food delivery on her birthday and doesn't pay heed to the safety measures. Such an oversight might be familiar for some of us for it is easy to give in to the false security of the pandemic not harming us, and that it won't hit us if we’re inside our house. However, soon
after, strange occurrences begin to happen one after the other in her life. Shadows and lights are employed to invoke an atmosphere of thrill and foreboding, raising the question at the heart of the narrative - will ordering food from outside during a pandemic prove to be a point of no return for the protagonist?

The Last Order | Short Film of the Day

‘Daud’ (Run), essentially a story of familial love, loss and the drama that ties it all together, presents an overlap of animation and live action to paint its reality for the viewer. A man, ever since he was a boy, used to run up a mountain every day with his father. However, one morning when the child did not accompany him, the father never returned from the run, thereby starting an endless pursuit for the protagonist to scale the mountain, and conquer not only the peak, much like his father had once dreamed, but also the fears he harbours within. The story is brought to life using a competent voiceover, which is seamlessly coupled with an equally skilled background score. There is never a drop in the energy, especially crucial to a film that preoccupies itself with running, and in the process, the narrative succeeds in keeping the viewer engaged throughout.

Daud | Short Film of the Day

Moonlit sky, chirping crickets and an isolated, poorly-lit courtyard set-up a dark, moody tone for the film. A young man seated on a comfortable khatiya is seen enjoying famous songs of Indian cinema on his mobile phone. After some fidgeting, he decides to put his phone aside, turn the electric bulbs off, and light up candle lanterns instead, in preparation for going to bed. Soon, the sky grows darker, clouds thunder, and an eerie atmosphere prevails, marking the presence of an uninvited guest. Set in the time of Covid-19, the film uses horror and satire to spread the message of human wellbeing, urging its viewers to follow safety protocols. It emphasizes the dangers of the pandemic and how one needs to tread lightly in a world that grapples with a pandemic.

Darrr | Short Film Nominee

The primary concern of the film is the compelling issue of exploring what freedom truly means, and its intricate relationship with the absence of fear. Once the narrative has conjured its idea of freedom for you, it moves forth to portray it in a concise manner by introducing us to a couple. 

The smiling lovers suddenly become very unsure of their safety in a public space like a roadside. The narrative heightens tension, only to puncture it in a way that presents its message about our contemporary reality loudly and clearly. The story is further taken home by competent performances who communicate it all with a frugal, but unequivocal verbal exchange.

Azaadi Mubarak | Short Film Nominee

By its own admission, the film is a part of a longer narrative which is yet to be concluded. However, through just this bit of the story itself, Rage manages to put forth its primary concern - the idea of embracing your fears. Using a plot that supports the same premise, the film reminds the viewer that a true winner is someone who has managed to confront headlong the things that scare them the most. Whether or not they are victorious in a battle is then inconsequential, for they have already taken the first step towards an eventual victory in the war that is their life. The film shares its story by weaving together visuals of a martial artist and a boxer, and the way they prepare for a face-off against one another. There is also a poster about a fitness centre in the background of the fight that keeps making an appearance, proving distracting for the story. Overall, the film exhibits dedication to its story and well-meaning intentions about overcoming obstacles and preparing yourself to face your worst enemies.

Rage | Short Film Nominee

As paranoia, fear and anxieties associated with a pandemic come to constitute our 'new normal', the short film takes us into the life of a young woman living by herself. From scrubbing her hands multiple times in a day, to drowning her footwear, mask and other objects of daily use in heaps of detergent and water, she does it all to protect herself during the coronavirus outbreak. The film is interesting in its approach to these events, marked primarily by a complementary edit. In addition to this, an element of the comic is also roped in by mapping the narrative against the highs and lows of an opera that forms its background score. During a time when things at the horizon seem increasingly bleak, the film offers a lighthearted, fun interpretation of a pandemic that is already threatening to douse our spirits.

New Normal | Short Film Nominee

The title of the story itself suggests a world predominated by shadows. It wants to bring to life a realm defined by the grey territories of uncertainties and the secrets that lurk in them. Two men are out for a walk late into the night when one of them notices something strange in the alley next to where they are. Despite the fear that darkness instils within him, he finds a strange lure in it. The story wants to employ metaphors and a sense of abstraction to share its intentions with you. As the protagonist begins to make sense of the unusual situation, the film presents the final result to the viewer for them to interact with.

Araal: The Penumbra | Short Film Nominee

It is a dark night when shadows and their strange shapes begin to predominate the scene. A boy is by himself in a house when unusual occurrences come to take form around him. The doorbell rings, but there is no one outside, raising the question that despite the absence of another physically visible presence, is he truly alone? The film traverses the path of the darkness and its silence, and what all of it eventually amounts to in the life of the protagonist. It is a sincere attempt to weave a tale of horror and thrill, and should be appreciated thus.

Not Alone | Short Film Nominee

A man is alone at home, perhaps as part of a quarantine in a coronavirus-ridden world, when strange things begin to occur. Another being walks in the darkness - is it a monster? Something supernatural? Further, the story wants to explore one's relationship with fear. Shadows and darkness form an important component of the same engagement. However, the final product would have benefited from a slightly better control on its lighting and the lucidity of visuals.

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