Included for consideration of the Kuman Pictures shorts challenge, horror themed mini-films based around the MCO (movement control order), “Mastur” focuses on one of the many issues caused by isolation, addiction. A worker who is forced to stay at home, begins to feel the weight of an ever-changing environment. However, worse than changing deadlines and lack of communication is the cut-off from drugs that helped keep his mind calm during his high stress job. As withdrawal kicks in, the young man begins to hear disturbing rumblings coming from the drain.
“Mastur” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Clocking in at under 2 minutes, there is not much one can glean from “Mastur”, although that is not to say that the production is not without its merits. Capturing a sense of isolation and dread in its brief existence, the work outlines its premise with clever cuts between two very different types of anxieties – work pressure and withdrawal symptoms. Given the self limitation on the project, the clarity given makes the work a quick draw into the world of someone struggling through deep desperation in an appropriately uneasy manner. Furthermore, the swift transition into horror elements, using effective camera and audio design, brings a foreboding sense of otherworldly terror into the confided mans existence.
Audiovisually, the short does suffer from the restrictive format, yet, Ammar Adzim certainly makes the best of what limited resources he had. Consequently, the film pulls together due to the mix of intimate camera work and editing to take create a broader scope than the small space the protagonist finds himself confined to. Undeniably, the execution is still rough in comparison to other formats, but given the self limitation of such a project, the short impresses in its execution.
Cinema made under extreme circumstances that act to challenge filmmakers will always be an intriguing way to test talent and ingenuity. Consequently, “Mastur” acts as a mini-showcase for director/writer/editor Adzim – an effective mini-horror film that represents a single concept with clear intentions. However, outside of the planned format the production holds scant merit as a cinematic experience as its brief existence makes it no more than a side note in a greater project (Kuman Pictures Challenge). Regardless, at 2 minutes it is certainly worth checking out and is engaging enough to warrant further exploration of Ammar Adzim's work.
