Heading out onto the train wearing a mask, a young woman becomes the focal point due to the large smiling image she affixed to the front of her medical mask. However, as the survivor of an acid attack, the unnamed girl hides a pain behind the artificial grin that few will ever experience.
“Smile of the Mask” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
“Smile of the Mask” is a simple premise film that is highly effective in confronting the audience with the harsh realities of life after being attacked and permanently scarred. The idea of being able to hide the deformity does not lessen the burden of having to bear that pain, the smile a fleeting reflection of beauty that the woman can only indulge in due to the circumstances around the pandemic. If anything, the short captures a single moment where the desire for normalcy can't even be overcome when the victim is to obscure her face from the public.
Visually, the camera does a complimentary job of capturing the daily buzz around the girl, seemingly peering over her shoulder or sitting next to her on the train. Consequently, the production has a very intimate and slightly ‘guerrilla' aesthetic to the delivery – an almost perverse window into the daily wanderings of a woman. This comes full-circle in the end when the image of happiness is pushed aside to show that, behind the mask and hair, lies a face damaged by chemical burn, reflecting an immeasurable sadness.
The editing work also deserves mention, as the film flows by like a dream, with quick cuts transporting the girl from point A to B while taking its time to offer a deeper reflection on the making of the mask as well as the final reveal. As a dialogue free short, the production flow captures the atmosphere to convey the disconnect from society the woman experiences.
At only 6 minutes and focused entirely on a single issue, it is hard to delve into the production past its obvious purpose. However, Abbas Ghazali manages to still leave a powerful message while saying or showing very little, also making a call to end the senseless violence. As a cinematic experience, it is certainly limited, but the message, nonetheless, leaves a lasting impact making the short worthy of an audience.
