“It is summer in Kolkata, India. A man waits at a bus stop in the morning while a girl with a violin waits in the afternoon. One day, their paths cross. A strange relationship unfolds as they begin exploring the quietude of the city. Unable to settle down, they decide to leave the crumbling city. Season changes. It is raining at the bus stop.”
“This Summer in Waiting” carries a lot of visual intrigue, offering up a nice sequence of two souls wandering the landscape, culminating in a wonderful performance in a windswept desert. The picturesque cinematography is completed by an engaging and well balanced soundscape. In particular, the closing sequence blends music with the sound of the desert in a really sublime way that leaves a strong final image that fades into the credit. Overall, the short is presented in a visually engaging matter that is bound to leave an impression on the audience.
The narrative, unfortunately, does not share the same amount of grace and tact as the visuals. The production is free of dialogue, and although it is possible to create an engaging movie in this manner, it is absent in the experience. There is a general impression that the short may be more geared towards trying to capture a certain emotional inflection from its audience over creating a traditional narrative. However, even if it could be said that the production succeeds in eliciting a strong sense of emotions through visuals, the lack of any sort of context is going to make the film forgettable outside of the initial visceral response.
“The Summer in Waiting” was a nice and relaxing experience, and I really enjoyed the transition between the scenery, which felt meticulously planned out, with the closing scene being particularly attention grabbing. However, I did feel let down by the lack of any concrete narrative and left desiring a more cohesive film. Unable to see how director Soumya Mukhopadhyay tackles script-work and directing actors make it difficult to really tout him as a future talent, but if the strength of these elements can match the lyrical beauty of his cinematography, it could turn into something quite special.
