No Stars Anymore

One night, a female member of the S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons And Tactics) forces goes on a mission along with her team, leading them towards very sinister occurrences.

Jemma (Pienko) is a lonely woman who is a S.W.A.T. Team Member and she believes that the world is coming to an end. One evening, she joins her unit in investigating certain locations that include a household, a warehouse and a field where there is a small fire burning and a screcrow that includes the skull of a horned cattle. Eventually it becomes apparent that they are going up against dark and dangerous forces.

This short dramatic sci-fi is Rog's directorial big screen debut, which was shot and made entirely by himself and it was filmed in the city of Rzeszow, Poland. Visually, the film is quite dark, with many scenes taking place during night-time and in locations that have limited lighting.

The majority of this forty-minute film is spent following the S.W.A.T. team as they search the designated areas, wearing their uniform and body armor and holding their firearms that contain torches. They spend a great deal of time walking around and inspecting and there is suspense as they keep on, not knowing what they are going to encounter. Generally, the atmosphere is rather mysterious throughout.

Pienko makes her big screen acting debut in her role as a person who seems to be confused and sad. Although she is the main character, when she joins her team, due to the fact that they all wear the same uniform and look alike, she blends in with them and in a way the whole squad becomes the protagonist.

Speech is limited in this film and as far as the audio goes, it is the music that takes over, which is haunting, mesmerising and dynamic, accompanying the images effectively. Rog does a great job as director and creates terrific aerial shots of buildings and landscapes. There is also a well-constructed montage consisting of news footage that shows riots and makes good use of fast cutting.

This accomplishment offers an interesting and intriguing experience. The story, score and atmosphere make this short film an admirable achievement that is worth pursuing.