Nausea

The writer-Director Satvik Manepalli utilises a font for the title of the short film- Nausea to give a sense of disorientation to its audience and the need to focus on several aspects of the life- style one chooses becomes crucial when it comes to the male protagonist (Kashyap Valle).

The plot of Nausea revolves around a young man’s exploration of loneliness, angst, and the fundamental absurdity of life.

The film opens with a black screen and Nausea in white font in the centre with the eerie background music that suits the elements of thrill, mystery, and suspense to bind the viewers with the content and get them involved and make sure that they don’t lose interest. The black-white colour pallet is smartly used to evoke an emotional nostalgic bond with nature that Manepalli is trying to define through the creative choice made by him. The shadow figure is showcased to introduce the main character depicting an array of thoughts experienced by him helps the makers to the degree of engagement with it. The set design, dim lighting, sound, vegetation, landscapes, costume, hair, and makeup has been kept simple and natural so that it does overpower the subject matter and also the major life lessons Nausea tries to communicate to the audience. The filmmaker has open-ended closure incorporating no dialogues only music providing an opportunity for the viewers to understand the nuances and interpret it accordingly.

In terms of performance, Kashyap Valle plays the unnamed young boy who is wandering out in search of the true meaning of life. Valle’s body language, facial expression, and eyes elevate the mood of the film per the brief given by the director making it relatable. The occasional eye contact with the camera is a good technic utilised for an interactive session with the viewers thus keeping the same close to reality.

Nausea talks about the need to accept every shade of life as people don’t have the privilege to pick and choose every time. The short film reiterates the importance of the relationship between humans and nature, audience should realise that we have to go back to nature when we die so it is high time that people start respecting and acknowledging what it has given to us for years unconditionally. The cinematic piece restates the significance of silence as well as spending time with the natural surroundings can give answers to various issues and allow us to recognise the self-worth we perhaps are not paying attention to. The creative piece tells us that sometimes nature can be the companion one aspires for and help them to rejuvenate teaching survival skills, and boosting their morals to deal with problems life throws at humans. Nausea also talks about how crucial it is to take out time for ourselves to figure out and share with friends, and family and work together to mend something that is not right for the betterment of the person and other people related to him or her.