The poetic narrative of the film presents to the viewer an endearing and heartwarming portrayal of a family during the national lockdown in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. While it is a fairly unprecedented time in recent history, Punarnav attempts to draw attention to the silver lining of this dark, dark cloud that has set itself upon us like a shroud. From family members suddenly turning into art connoisseurs to their dedication to Yoga and meditation, the film exhibits it all. The visuals, intelligently angled, are further supplemented by a competent voiceover. All in all, the end product becomes the glimmer of positivity we would all gain from in contemporary times.

Punarnav | Short Film of the Day

The documentary film is the most calm portrayal of a moment in the life of a quarantined married couple. It centers itself around the mundane day-to-day activities of their lives - from complaints to singing troubles with high-pitched notes. Using pigeons as metaphors, the film also weaves an equally complementary narrative with its visuals. Watch it for the quiet it will induce amidst the noisy emotional clutter of a lockdown.

Lost Songs | Short Film of the Day

Combining a sense of entrapment with the protagonist's house, the very place which had once stood for shelter and security, the short film puts forth a seamless narrative. Devoid of any dialogue, it further uses a background score which is fitting enough to fill any space that might have been left behind by the silence. Because of the effortless weaving together of the sound and the visuals, Cage manages to convey its sentiment and intention successfully and impactfully. While stray animals roam around freely on empty streets, humans are confined to their homes, behind walls which seem to be closing in a little bit more with every passing day. The protagonist can do no more than watch from behind his window bars as the mundaneness of a daily routine continues to overpower his life.

Cage | Short Film of the Day

With a calmness of tone and vibe, the short film interacts with the notions of time and how it seems to stretch and come to a halt during the coronavirus lockdown. As the protagonist struggles to come to terms with his new reality, there is indeed a sense of closure to be reached both by him as well as the viewer at the conclusion of the narrative.

Waqt - Abhi Thama Sa Hai | Lockdown Film Challenge

The manner in which food comes to define and tie together familial bonds is often endearing and lasting in the most unexpected ways. The story of the short film sets the same premise by introducing us to the absolute chaos a woman's life is hurled into following the Covid-19 quarantine. She now finds herself sharing a house with her former mother-in-law who refuses to speak to her. 

 Soon it is the recipe of a patishapta, a Bengali pancake of sorts, that another relative provides, that becomes the sturdy bridge to invoke potential of communication, and perhaps, eventual acceptance and union as well between the two women. 

However, since a world that has known a pandemic is also one that has known tragedy, an undesirable development awaits the protagonist at the film's conclusion. Amidst it all, it is indeed trying her beloved aunt's recipes and allowing them to be a place of comfort and solace that equips her to battle the sad reality of a pandemic better. In an isolating house of silence and disconcerting quiet, she now finds the resultant delicacies to be her only companions. Additionally, they lead her to the realization of a beauty she may have not acknowledged before, underlines the narrative.

Patishapta | Short Film Nominee

A one-person-production, the short film is a portrayal of a young man's confinement to a house (of sorts). As he moves from one corner to another, trying to find a purpose to his day, the vagueness and uncertainty of the lockdown is translated on screen. In that moment, are the character as well as the viewer, both quarantined in their respective physical spaces, any different from one another?

Lockdown | Lockdown Film Challenge

The film employs some expertly achieved visuals to allow the viewer a glimpse into the various emotional states of a man during quarantine following the coronavirus pandemic. From deep despair and lethargy to finally finding comfort and solace in hobbies, pets and cooking, the narrative engages with them all to put forth an agreeable and well-intentioned lockdown story.

How I'm Surviving Quarantine | Lockdown Film Challenge

The short employs an engagement with a seemingly inane activity to perhaps attempt to explain how the quarantine is making everyone feel. While both the viewer and the film's protagonist stay confined in the lockdown following the Covid-19 pandemic, how does one not only find a purpose to their day, but as well as a way to figure out their daily chores? Left clueless in these unusual times, the film aims to represent the struggle, confusion and doubts surrounding one such situation.

Coffee | Lockdown Film Challenge

How far can you spiral down when no one is looking and loneliness has driven you beyond all limits of rationality? The film raises the same question using an engaging narrative about a woman's experience of isolation during the coronavirus quarantine. As the same activities become repetitive, an escape from emotional exhaustion seems vastly out of reach. Moving from one empty room to another, there is little to be found in the name of company of another person, and this is precisely why the narrative comes to take the unexpected turn that it does.

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