A single mother whose day job puts her at the forefront of the global pandemic struggles through her daily tasks, exhausted by her job and attitudes towards the global crisis. However, a small act of kindness renews her faith in humanity.
“Sikit-Sikit” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Released back in July 2020, “Sikit-Sikit” offers an interesting time frame when looking back at the pandemic, as it starts to die down within certain regions. Undeniably, it was during this time frame that the weight of Covid was overwhelming for many, as fear and uncertainty began to sink in. While the film exists as an interesting look back, it also is an example of how Covid cinema (hopefully like the virus) will become a thing of the past.
Putting aside the context, the production does pose itself as a love-letter to human kindness and charity that is important during turbulent periods. In addition, there is a familiarity in having to push down general anxiety in order to continue to support family and community that will be felt on a personal level. Essentially, “Sikit-Sikit” excels at capturing mini moments of reflections and daily struggles that often go unspoken when issues around the pandemic are discussed.
The production boasts a strong visual and audio presence with some serene shots that act to transition between dialogue. The score, while somewhat off from the narrative, consists of beautiful classical music that gives off a relaxing aesthetic paired with visuals. Additionally, the performance of Gurdev Kaur in the lead is a perfect choice as she is able to convey both frustration but also a profound love for others – both family and community. Ultimately, the film flows wonderfully from start to finish and is an ideal showcase for the ability of director Zachary Yap to bring a movie together.
Sadly, at this point it feels like Covid related cinema has been approached at every angle. Despite working on its own merit, after a year of pandemic themed cinema, “Sikit Sikit” is passable at best and forgettable at worse. However unfair it may be, when having viewed many films dealing with the global crisis, it is hard not to start measuring them up against each other.
Undeniably, Zachary Yap proves himself to be a competent film maker and his particular use of subtlety to convey deeper issues is perfectly executed. However, coming to a project like this a year after release it feels like a relic that will only become more irrelevant as the world begins to recover. Personally I am excited to see more work from Yap off of this short, but am equally elated that this kind of cinema is soon be forgotten.
