The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on society in several ways, be it financial, or in terms of health. It has completely shattered our notions of normalcy or what was once considered normative in terms of how we interacted with our professional and personal life. This has been caused by the complete blurring of the lines between the home and the world, and the documentary film is an engagement with the same thought. 

As the name suggests, it takes the viewer into the work-from-home lifestyle of a teacher, and delves into the several aspects of this change that the pandemic forced on her. While juggling household chores and her duties towards her students becomes a daily reality, the narrative invoked to communicate all of this remains controlled and quiet. It does not take shelter in any ornate devices or ostentation, or even spiral away its energy in a feverish fervour. This, in turn, becomes a decision that allows it to succeed at sharing not a story of grandeur and loftiness, but one marked by the mundane and everyday chores. 

Within its folds also lies a comment about the location of women in society where they straddle domesticity as well as the professional space in a manner that is not expected of men. In the process, the film offers an endearing, honest and sincere story, enabled and enhanced specifically by its tone and approach of subtlety and calmness.

Portrait of a Teacher  | Short Film of the Day

The Indian webspace has a new addition that promises to add some colour at the end of your long day. The story is about two young advertising professionals, both trying to step out of their comfort zone. The premise the show sets in its pilot is refreshing and supplemented with decent performances and convincing chemistry. The relationship the two protagonists share is a love story waiting to happen, but will this turn out to be more than they can chew as they already struggle with leaving their comfort zone behind?

Please Find Attached | Dice Media  | Mini Web Series

The story is of three different characters and how their professional life ensures that their paths continue to overlap. While one of these characters is a boy who instead of being at school sells tea, the protagonist of the story is a young woman. She becomes a significant comment on the various male interactions a woman has to engage in when stepping out of the house. Need does a skilled job of portraying how a person's immediate requirements lead them to commit to tasks they would otherwise abhor. It succeeds in conveying it all simply by adopting a subtle, quiet manner.

Proyojon (Need) | Short Film of the Day

In a world where work-life balance is the first casualty of the pursuit of success, the short film makes the same idea its premise. Employing the approach of a mockumentary, it presents its empirical observations of an interaction that unfolds between a human and their laptop. 
The idea evidences an attempt to bring in a fresh voice to storytelling, while also commenting on the modern day pressures of professionals who remain tied to their work-desks for long hours. The endeavor of the solo cast and crew simply presents a moment in time in its exploration, a portrayal that the narrative engages with in a simple, lucid manner.

Shutdown | Short Film Nominee

Two strangers, travelling in a company carpool, share an interesting, comforting conversation about relationships and their respective approaches to life. While one of them is a budding web designer, the other is a middle-aged finance professional. Consequently, owing to the vast difference in their professional lives and age groups, they have contrasting views when it comes to work as well as personal relationships.The latter believes in complete separation of office and family time whereas the former insists that increasing competition and demand has blurred these boundaries. 
Despite having conflicting opinions, they listen to one another’s views, and eventually find a common ground for some aspects of their discussion. As their destination arrives, they develop a mutual understanding and friendship which possess the potential of leading to lasting, positive effects on the subsequent events waiting to develop within the narrative.

Vyakhya | Short Film Nominee

With Covid-19 and home quarantines, the lesser known and unconventional concept of work-from-home has now become mandatory for all business owners and employees. Odd working hours for extended periods of time from a home desk have blurred the lines of personal and professional space, and removed the concept of holidays almost entirely . 
One such employee, facing the brunt of the aforementioned circumstances, is Anu who tires herself throughout the day to meet project deadlines. The only available time for her to release the day’s stress and explore other interests are the late hours. Every night, she chooses binge-watching, trying new dresses, among other activities over going to bed early. The struggle of long, exhausting hours at her job, and sleepless yet fun nights continue in the form of a vicious, never-ending cycle, portraying for the viewer a reality we are all too familiar with by now.

The Night 'Shift' | Short Film Nominee

The pandemic has demanded of us extreme life changes ever since it clutched the world in its grasp in 2020. As our work got confined to screens, it further required of people to adopt a completely new approach to performing their professional duties. The short film is a sweet story that explores the same by taking us into the life of a couple. The woman is a teacher struggling to get her young pupils to come onboard with online classes. However, humans' ability to adapt has the potential to overcome all obstacles, especially with the help and support of loved ones, suggests and portrays the film.

Pumpkin Eater | Lockdown Film Challenge

The visual narrative wants to employ an experimental approach to portray a reality we are all too familiar with by now. Attempting to discuss the experience of working from home during the pandemic, the story wants to give a glimpse of the many obstacles that rest within this way of life. Charlie Chaplin forms an important source of inspiration for its core thought. Additionally, marked by a complete absence of dialogue, it aims to use metaphors and symbolic images to convey it all.

Work From Home | Short Film Nominee

The short film is an engagement with the sense of entrapment one feels when stuck in a rut. Struggling with work, the protagonist finds it difficult to spend quality time with friends and family. The narrative thus becomes a lament for the same, depicted entirely in a monochromatic colour palette.

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