OFFICIAL SELECTION


Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION

SPECIAL SHOWCASE

OFFICAL SELECTION - INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Shot on a phone, with the entirety of the film constituted by simply three long takes, 'Cycle' is a brutal story about the path of revenge, and eventually, as the title suggests, the cycle of hate. The unbreakability of the latter once it has been set in motion serves as the backbone of the narrative. 
 An intense and extremely disturbing episode of sexual violence inflicted on an overpowered tribal woman is your first introduction to the world of the film.

Marked by conflict and unrest between local tribes, and the militant forces in an unnamed location (presumedly Chhattisgarh where people enjoy ant chutney), it is a reality of weapons, oppression and torture. If the purpose of art is to disturb, compelling you to engage in constructive thought which leads to reformative action, then 'Cycle' is indeed a crucial piece of art. It exposes not only the grotesqueness and nightmarish reality of extreme violence, but also the many far-reaching and adverse consequences of the same, while steering very clear of sentimentalism and voyeurism all along. 

The film will stay with you long after you are done watching it, and at the end of it all, it would have served its purpose of urging you to reflect on your lived reality as well as the experiences of those who inhabit a world far different from yours.

Cycle | Pick of the Festival Circuit

Shame attempts to be a powerful narrative about the struggle of a woman to feel accepted, loved and beautiful. As she goes around cleaning rooms at the hotel she works at, her feelings often find an outlet in voyeurism and sneaky glances into the lives of the guests. The film is a comment on how class adds to the oppression of a woman who may not fulfill conventional beauty standards. Despite strong performances by Swara Bhasker and Ranvir Shorey, Shame falls short of delivering all that it promises. While it wants to leave the audience with the message that often the only thing stopping you from being all that you can be is your own crippling sense of shame, the events leading to this conclusion are not convincing. Full points to the intention, but that does not take away from the fact that the sudden change in the character trajectory of the protagonist comes as an implausible plot development.

Shame | Short Film of the Day

The thematic concerns of the narrative are several and include minority identity, one's relationship with religion, and finally, love that turns to hate and fires the desire for revenge. The film does a notable job of engaging with all of these, shining in some moments, owing primarily to a delicate handling of a sensitive thought, but sometimes, also lagging and bordering on sentimentalism. It would be erroneous to not point out that the plot, significant in its execution, presents the viewer with an involving take on father-son dynamics, marked by stubbornness and anger that the two characters come to mirror in each other. The film, essentially the story of a man who has witnessed tragedy, and is confronted with important questions and memories of the past, exhibits notable performances and storytelling, along with deep potential that can be explored further by the team in their future projects.

Zidd | Short Film of the Day

A man in a remote town, a favorite brand of cigarettes and a gory history of a house - these are our first introduction to the world of ‘Charnel House’. Due to the haunted past of a villa, the protagonist has been able to buy it at one-fourth of the price. The viewer is allowed slowly-steadily into this tale of horror and violence. Once the premise is established, events unravel swiftly. The narrative follows a non-linear path, and moves back and forth to further take us into the dark past of the characters and an evil, vindictive force that follows them until it has been appeased. The film does a notable job of keeping the viewer involved, even if showing a little want of tightness in some places. It’s a welcome prospect to see more similar projects where these few wrinkles have been ironed out.

The Charnel House | Short Film Nominee

‘The Ant Theory’ is a joyful narrative about a little boy, Alexi whose worst fears come alive when he entraps an ant who dared to take a bite from his cookie. However, as soon as his father points out to him that once released, the ant, along with his family, might return to avenge his entrapment, all hell lets loose for the hapless protagonist. 

The ensuing result is an innocent, lighthearted story, which is sometimes also sprinkled with moments of tension. Young Alexi moves from one foiled attempt to another to protect himself in the face of imminent danger. What would, at last, be the fate of his nemesis’ revenge as well as that of Alexi himself?

The Ant Theory | Short Film Nominee

‘Rudra’ offers a notable comment on the very specific kind of anger that fuels the fire of revenge. It places a cycle of violence in motion from where there is no breaking out, unless the path of forgiveness and kindness is remembered in time. 
The visual narrative remains confined primarily to a single room where a man is busy at work at a make-shift desk. Surrounded by newspaper clippings and documents that hark back to both his present motivations as well as past tragedies, the film presents its world to you. There is a judicious use of space and limited resources to bring the story to life, conveying its message to the viewer in a lucid manner.

Rudra | Short Film Nominee

The film is a story of deceit and revenge, of blackmail and backfired plans. The world that it conjures is afflicted by adverse effects of climate change, but more than that, by a weakness of character and selfish motivations driving a man's entire existence. We are met by two contrasting people, Prem and Priya. If the latter is a devoted, loving wife, the former is far from that, treating his wife with cruelty. 

 
However, in a twisted turn of events, Prem soon finds himself at the heart of a phishing attack that ensures that his world will never be the same again. He wakes up one morning to the fateful call where a voice gives him about twelve hours to ensure his video of a compromising circumstance is not released to the world. Action is gradually built within the narrative, taking both the protagonist and the viewer through several moments of high tension and intensity. The antagonist keeps shifting, from one potential threat to another, leaving little to no respite for Prem. 

Prem, on the other hand, despite calling in the help of several people, including a former lover, Nancy, and her brother, Alfred, continues to treat people in a terrible manner. As the subsequent story is weaved, the protagonist is forced to pause and assess the consequences of his action. It would have been interesting to see a deeper exploration of the idea of climate change established at the start, and the many ways it could have affected the plot directly, along with a closer engagement with Priya's motivation to stay with an abusive husband, more than a vague idea of love or repentant tears. However, the final result is sincere and well-intentioned and it is with the same perspective that it should be approached and interacted with.

The 24th Hour | Short Film Nominee

The film depicts the plight of an anguished teenager. He is raped in a boy’s washroom. We do not know if that
was the first time it happened to him or if he has been abused before. The situation at his domestic front
is also pitiable. He has suffered a life of neglect. Finding himself completely alone and powerless, he drinks to
forget his pain, but will it suffice in assuaging his misery? The narrative is notable for it brings to light a less talked about aspect of sexual violence - of abuse and violation of young boys. While triggering for some and requiring viewer's discretion, and despite being completely devoid of any actual exchange of dialogues between its characters, Silent makes it comment loudly and clearly, achieving the same by tying its visuals with a voiceover and a complementary background score.

Silent | Short Film Nominee

Be fairly warned, the film is not for those of a weak stomach. Proceed only if you have the palette for the dark narrative that will unfold with the progression of Bhurji. It opens with a casual evening between three friends. However, soon the story moves forward to reveal the tension and disagreements that fraught this equation. The protagonist struggles to hold on to a job and pops some unnamed pills which are perhaps harming him in a significant way. All of this is clearly moving towards a crescendo, but when it is finally achieved, will you be prepared?

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