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★★★
Directed by: Juggy Sohal
Starring: Parvinder Shergill
Short Film Review: by Rachel Pullen
Colour Me Brown Movie Review
Segregation is a bitch, no one wants to feel outside of the crowd, to be shunned, hell if that happened in the early years of man you were doomed to die, for to wander alone, was to be vulnerable to predators or the elements, and that has stayed with us, but instead of it affecting our mortality, now it takes a toll on our mental health.
With all the tragedies that have surrounded race at this current time as well as the Black Lives Matter being at the forefront of racially driven movements, short film Colour Me Brown from director Juggy Sohal has picked a prime time to step into the light and present an interesting approach that racial abuse has on its victims.
This short film takes place in the therapy session of a young man who has faced a lifetime of abuse because of his race; he recalls his youth, days being teased in the playground, the harsh nicknames thrown at him from the other children, how he has never felt at the forefront of the pack or group in adult life because of his skin colour.
He recognises the impact but also the power it has given him to be a stronger person. We follow him down a path of enlightenment as he comes to conclude that he can be comfortable in his own skin, that he can move forward and overstep these hurdles.
The entire short is shot without us being able to actually see the central character, we are never allowed to see his form, only his therapist is seen on screen, we just hear his feelings, we don't have access to judge him on appearance, something that he wishes others would do, a very powerful move on the part of Juggy Sohal.
The film is a collection of black and white footage and PowerPoint-style animation, this chop and change approach sadly seems to throw off the flow of the short film, one or the other would have served to develop a more fluid and consistent feel to the piece cinematically, choosing two sperate styles to incorporate into a film is one thing, but they need to have some similarity in order to have consistency.
Colour Me Brown is a short film that has taken an interesting and empathetic approach to the victims of discrimination and segregation, putting us in the hot seat if you will of someone who has taken a lifetime of abuse.
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