Making his way from small town to a big city, a young man finds himself overwhelmed by the options of things to do and people to meet in comparison to his past. Consequently, the man finds himself overspending to meet the metropolitan requirements to hang out with friends and keep a girlfriend. His major source of income comes from his father, whom he begins to over rely on for money. Unfortunately, this puts the man's father in danger, resulting in a harsh lesson in responsibility.
“Keringatmu A.K.A Pilihanmu” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Shot in guerilla style under a harsh time restraint, Wan Dinnie's (“Alice“, “The Promised Stones“) recut on one of his early films showcases not just the ability to re-invent previous work, but the strong foundation that would come to define his later projects. Due to the approach, the film is undeniably rough around the edge, but through a competent narrative and some creative flair, it is a fun deviation from the more defined work Wan would do in later years.
Notable creative choices include fast cuts to give a greater sense of kinetic movement, allowing certain scenes an implied extra importance to mundane actions i.e. the grabbing of a traveling bag. Additionally, the transitions tend to overlap, creating an extra layer of images to enrich the narrative. However, the highlight of this approach comes from a scene depicting an accident, with a degree of realism and a loud moment of violence, transcending the lo-fi approach.
The production is obviously marred by the restrictions placed on itself, but what the short film is able to accomplish in its short run time is rather impressive. Unfortunately, the quality makes it hard to critique certain aspects, such as the quality of performances and aspects of cinematography.
It is undeniable that Wan Dinnie passion for film and wearing his influences on his sleeve have led to an impressive filmography of short films. Having reviewed many of his projects, it is my hope that one day these will be collected in some format to better introduce the world to this unique talent. Until that happens, you can check out some of the directors work through our ‘AMP cinema for free' project, with his film “Alice” available here. Additionally, you can check out our past interview with director Wan Dinnie.
