Looking to bring light to sexual assault in Syria and give voice to the victims', “The Last Apple” captures the isolation brought on by such cruel act. Following on such victim, the short shows a young girl waking into a claustrophobic environment in deep pain and struggling to make sense of the world around her as the sounds of everyday life act as a backdrop to her struggle. As stated by director Aneek Chaudhuri “This film is an attested revolution about the power of womanhood that cannot be broken down even by the deadline of crime.”
“The Last Apple” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Opening with a brief scene that conveys the joy and innocence of youth, “The Last Apple” spends the bulk of its runtime showing a young girl's (played by Usha Banerjee) suffering after being abducted and sexually assaulted. Left in a small room surrounded by relics of the past that elude to innocence lost, the production focuses on the pain caused by this act as the young actress struggles to reach the other side of the room for water. Suffering rests at the forefront as the struggle itself is over exaggerated to capture a life of torment within a short span of time. An unsettling experience, the film incites the kind of disgust and anger that is asked of the audience in exploring accepted systematic abuse.
While the drawn out suffering of the unknown female conveys the severity of the situation, the message itself becomes clear within the opening moments. Consequently, at 24 minutes, the film loses semblance of a narrative short and acts to cement the point the filmmaker is trying to make through extreme subjection of uncomfortable themes. Ultimately, the production works as a statement instead of an actual film which will likely dissuade many.
However, the repetitious nature of the film does allow for the sound design to become a character unto itself. The sound of life continuing in the background; traffic, nature, talking and general ambiance, all paint a tragic portrait of a woman disconnected from that grounded normalcy when faced with extreme pain and confined to a small room. Besides offering a contrast between outside and the on screen struggle, the soundscape feels representative of what was lost, the ability to share in laughter and live within the moment.
It is really difficult to call “The Fallen Apple” a good movie by any means, as the actual experience is as unnerving as it is redundant. However, Aneek Chaudhuri still proves to be a competent storyteller through his delivery and brilliant use of sound to tell a greater narrative.
