“Shambavi” tells the story of a young woman whose love for film has extended into her relationship. The love for her partner and film blends together as the two plan a movie date night. The short film was made with the theme “that mystery of cinema can only be felt, but not said.”
The short film is most notable in its technical execution. The film looks very crisp and clean, and showcases some gorgeously framed shots within it's limited run time. The color in the production really pops, making it easy to get pulled into the visuals. The score that accompanies the movie is well chosen and creates a complimentary dreamlike atmosphere.
The script, although simple in concept, is well executed and does a good job of conveying the main characters love of cinema. The only featured actor credited as “Akshaya” works well with the script. The protagonist's love of film and her partner melds together rather poetically, on the strength of the script and performance.
The one major critique of the production would have to come in its way to use imagery from other films to try to convey its message. The closing credits feature iconic imagery from well known productions, which seem to try to create an emotional connect with the narrative. However, with the script and visuals standing on their own, this use of footage acts more to limit the short from forging it's own creative voice.
Overall, “Shambavi” shows a great insight for visual storytelling and script writing. Hopefully, the strength of the production will be able to propel the filmmakers onto a bigger platform to showcase their talents.
