“In the shadowy kingdom of Dumalángto ruled by Aetudhaman, the one-eyed king, everyone is forced to believe that they are blind. While the king feeds on people's blood to gain more power, Elhanan, a sighted and discerning slave, gets enraged by the evil occurences. Seeing the spread of darkness, famine and injustice, he awaits the right moment when he can get hold of the tattoed winged horse to attack the one-eyed king and fuel the flames of the masses to rebel against the dominion.” (Official)
“A Flame in Our Midst” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
A collaborative effort among several contributors, “A Flame in Our Midst” was shot over the course of the pandemic at four different locations and directed via zoom meetings. This approach, shucking traditional filmmaking, was born out of necessity, with its participants being forced into isolation due to the pandemic.
Summarized in the director's statement: “While pandemics are used by tyrannical regimes to amass wealth and be cruel to their peoples, filmmakers like us should unite and create stories to call out the injustices and wrongdoings in unique ways amidst the oppressive nature of the times.” Undeniably, “A Flame in Our Midst” captures the sentimentality and creativity that overcame oppression and exploitation that arose from certain powers looking to profit from the global catastrophe. However, as a cinematic experience, the short film is limited by restraint and it requires viewers to come to it aware of the production's forced limitations and the filmmaker's goal.
It is apparent, moments in to “A Flame in Our Midst”, that the majority of the film was constructed through the editing process, with not a single frame seemingly painstakingly gone over to form the eclectic aesthetic. While Elvert Banares was able to craft moments of divine chaos in the visuals, there are points when the limitations of software and work required become apparent and begin to disrupt the flow. Furthermore, the visuals and flashes can be intrusive in their intensity, which does not always seem to align with the messaging of the dialogue. While the end result can feel disorienting, considering the inspiration behind the project and the amount of labor put into the end product, it is admirable what the small group of creatives was able to accomplish–whether they find it engaging is a different matter altogether.
The score accompanying the short lingers between chaotic and dark ambiance and is a perfect complement to both the visual and story. There is also a closing track, performed by John Julian Muniz (who also plays the one-eyed god), that beautifully encapsulates the vision of the team behind the project and what message they wanted to convey.
The story, which is captured with strong emotional intensity by Matt De Leon, blends folklore with indignation rooted in reflections on the current abuse of power. The dialogue is utterly captivating in both content and delivery and creates a modern parable that will resonate with anyone who has felt the weight of oppression, specifically during the last few years. The fourth contributor to this project, Joey Rar Decolongon, provides needed scenery into the mix that Banares uses as a base to showcase the innocence of the people being exploited. While this contribution is the least pronounced, it is still notable in accomplishing the overall theme that it would feel amiss to neglect to mention his role in bringing “A Flame in Our Midst” to fruition. The work truly represents the four creatives with diverse talents working together to construct a unique experience that is the summation of their passions.
What makes “A Flame in Our Midst” successful will not be found by looking at the normal qualifiers when applying critique. Approaching experimental cinema leaning heavily into emotions already proves difficult to come to a critical consensus due to the personal and expressive nature, which makes it hard to quantify to a general audience. Add in the fact that the film was made under unique conditions and produced in an unorthodox manner and the short is further unidentifiable for traditional critical analysis. Ultimately, the production is a worthy endeavor to check out for oneself and draw their own conclusions, and even though my own impression of the end product was not wholly positive, the project is impressive in its scope and execution.
If you are interested in learning more you can check out the official site for the film here.
