An impoverished young boy that finds himself more comfortable around nature and animals suffers a horrible loss when his mother passes away. The young boy decides that his mother’s spirit has returned to the earth and has been re birthed as a tree. Now an adult, the man’s ‘mother’ becomes threatened by locals who believe the tree is cursed and must be cut down, driving him to desperate actions.
“Brikkhamata” can best be described as a modern day fable that combines modern concerns with old world superstitions. This is done by evoking a fantasy induced story, where the protagonist believes his mother to have transformed into the oldest tree in the village. While symbolizing his mother, the tree also represents the larger concept of ‘mother nature’ and the need to protect her at all costs. Taken at face value, our hero is an awkward and possibly delusional persona, but through strong script work, he transcends the role of social outcast. Ultimately, the awkward youth turns hero by protecting mother nature from the ignorant, even though he’s arguably naive in coping with his mother’s passing.
Within the short film, there is a lot to unpack, but it is handled in an effective manner that manages to convey its message efficiently. Overall, the script and structure of “Brikkhamata” is one of simplistic beauty for an abstract concept.
The production boasts some sharp visuals, particularly with drone shots that allow a broader view of the serene landscape. The camera work, when focusing on individuals can feel a bit more muddled and less thought out, with the transition into the more populated area feeling like it came from an entirely different film, with framing and set up. However, the movie is an impressing outing from a director with only a few short films under his belt. The audio is well handled, with the exception of the opening narrator’s voice, which could have used some cleaning and noise reduction, which does not make for a strong first impression. Thankfully, the choppy audio is rectified early and is well managed for the bulk of the short film.
“Brikkhamata” is a wonderfully crafted narrative work, that is somewhat let down by a few technical choices, and some rather forgettable performances. However, there is still a lot to enjoyand shows great potential for future productions from Rashedul Islam Roni. At a run-time of just over 8 minutes, audiences will only gain from indulging in this modern fable.