★★★★ Directed by: #GiselleGeney Written by: #GiselleGeney Starring: #MaykolSantiagoCapachoPerales, #LuisEnriqueYanez Film review by: William Hemingway In Colombia there is only one religion – football. Pride in the local and national teams can be stronger here than anywhere else in the world and the vehemence of the supporters second to none. The strength of feeling from the fans can be so powerful in fact, that woe betide any player who messes things up on the pitch and causes their team to lose. Death threats are not unheard of, just ask Carlos Sanchez after he got himself sent off in the 2018 World Cup; and the Colombian mafia even went one step further in 1994 when they executed Andres Escobar for scoring an own goal that saw the national team leave the competition. But, despite such grave workplace pressures, it is still every young boy's dream to grow up and play for his team and score the winning goal against every opponent. 10 year old Gonzalo (Perales) is no different. Rector Ramon (Yanez), however, has other ideas. He believes that pride lies in punctuality, cleanliness and a well turned out pair of shoes. His devotion to duty is such that he lines up the children in his school every morning and insists on a military style inspection, leaving no hand unturned and no foot unregarded. It's just Gonzalo's luck then, that he's been kicking his ball about all morning and has scuffed and muddied his shoes along the way. Unsurprisingly he is kept in at break for detention and is taught the error of his messy ways, all the while looking wistfully out of the window as his pals get on with the beautiful game outside. Gonzalo is then warned, should he turn up with dirty shoes once more, then his ball will be confiscated for the rest of the year. The pressure is on. Such is the set-up for Giselle Geney's family friendly affair 3 Feet, which plays around gently with themes of responsibility, authority and self-image. Gonzalo is a likeable kid who loves his mother and generally does as he is told; you know he is being met with unfair expectations that it's unlikely he'll be able to uphold, and you really feel for him on his journey of responsibility, but can he just stop kicking that darn football about long enough to get himself safely to school? Probably not. And so, like Gonzalo, we forget about how it's all going to turn out and we just have some fun along the way. There's some hectic action scenes shot on a handheld camera as Gonzalo chases through the streets of his hometown. There are pauses for reflection as he takes in the beauty and tradition of where he lives. There's even time for an animated fantasy as Gonzalo believes he is taking on everyone in the marketplace before scoring a belter past the butcher. Everything is wonderfully told from a young boy's point of view with each style fitting in to how he is feeling at that point. It is a fun, and at times perilous, journey that has us rooting for him at every turn, as though we are his supporters cheering from the stands. The direction fits in beautifully with Gonzalo's story, mirroring his actions and emotions and allowing us to experience with him the joy and freedom he feels when he has a ball at his feet. In contrast, the periods of conflict are tense and introspective and we can see on Gonzalo's face at all times just what he is thinking. Even with a running time of just under fifteen minutes, 3 Feet takes us through all the emotion of a 90 minute match and still manages to keep us biting our nails through a last-minute figurative penalty shoot-out which will decide the young footballer's fate. And while we all know that football and clean shoes aren't actually life or death matters, in Gonzalo's world they might as well be.

★★★★ Directed by: Kami Sadraei Written by: Kami Sadraei Starring: Eric Roberts, Kami Sadraei Film Review by: Jason Knight A psychotherapy session. A man is telling the therapist about his issues. But things are not what they seem. The patient is a young man named Jake (Sadraei), who is getting therapy from Dr. Moore (Roberts). Jake is telling Moore about his past, his relationship with his parents and a traumatic event that has brought him to the devastating state he is now. The session ends with an unexpected conclusion. This short story begins as an emotional drama about tragedy and loss and then turns into a thriller. It explores themes of grief, depression, trauma, family, hatred and revenge. The entire film uses black-and-white cinematography, which looks stunning. The stylized opening sequence looks great and the score is beautiful and sentimental at first and later becomes powerful and dynamic. The whole narrative takes place inside the therapist's office and the two leads are the only people in the film. Moore's workplace looks very professional, filled with expensive furniture and decorations. The doctor himself looks very professional in his clothing and Jake is smartly dressed. Both protagonists deliver great performances. Sadraei is emotional as a man who is broken as a result of a terrible tragedy. As he sits on the couch, talking about his feelings and experiences, it becomes clear that he is going through a lot. And he is also fiddling with two balls in his hand that have the yin-yang symbol on them. Roberts manages to successfully portray a professional therapist, being very calm, asking questions when appropriate and taking notes. This project clearly had a great deal of passion put into it. It is very well directed and written and uses effective lighting techniques. The twist is rather clever. As the audience learns more and more about Jake and pick up the clues, they begin to realize that this is something more than a therapy session. And by the time the film ends, they will fully understand his reasons for being there. #JasonKnight

★★★★★ Directed by: #MollyManningWalker Written by: #MollyManningWalker Starring: #JasmineJobson, #MichealWard, #TNiaMiller Film Review by Lucy Clarke Sexual assault has been notoriously misrepresented and minimised in film. Either sexually aggressive behaviour is presented as romantic, or the victims of sexual assault are presented as the ones at fault, rather than the rapist. Very few films that even address themes of sexual assault demonstrate the hoops victims must go through to report assault. Director and writer Molly Manning Walker’s film astutely portrays the real experiences of many victims of sexual assault, allowing their voices to take centre stage. Amy (Jasmine Jobson) has been assaulted. It seems impossible to utter the words to her boyfriend, Lewis (Micheal Ward), who can sense there is something wrong, but he just can’t place his finger on it. Amy shuffles behind him on the settee, her knees and nose pressing into his fluffy hoodie. It would be easier to admit this trauma without the glare of eye contact, but Amy can’t murmur the words out. Jasmine Jobson holds the entire film together as the tired, anxious Amy. She sucks in her lower lip, pursing it when her name is called in the doctor’s office. Exhaustion rattles her like she’s been up for weeks replaying the trauma over and over again in her mind. Jobson’s acting relies on sighs and the unspoken words that Amy wants to say but can’t speak into existence. This scared and traumatised sixteen-year-old is lead into the circuses of the legal system. The rooms of lawyers, police and doctors swirl past her asking questions with the similar underlying tone: but it is your fault, really. Even the colours lull the audience into a false sense of security. Amy’s school shirt is a tranquil bright blue. The light in Lewis’s living room radiates warmth as it reflects on the terracotta-coloured couch. This warmth is the same utilised in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, yet here this is a trick to unnerve the viewer. Slate blues and dirty greys have no place in this film. But the comfort of these colours throws Amy off-kilter. These are the very places where she should feel at home, and she should feel safe. But either she cannot speak her secret into existence, or when she does, it is insinuated that she could have done something to avoid the current situation. It doesn’t matter if Amy was drinking. It doesn’t matter if she was wearing a short skirt. All that matters is that she was assaulted. Manning Walker gives no screen time to Amy’s attacker, but instead, he is the spectre that haunts this piece. Instead of having the assault painfully burned into celluloid shot-by-shot, the event is roughly fragmented, as though random details keep swimming up to the surface in Amy’s brain, but then are hurriedly pushed away as she tries to forget. Manning Walker’s film is not only expertly crafted, but it is timely too. Over 1/3 of women and girls will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Yet, very few films spend time trying to understand what the victims experience in the aftermath of the assault. One of Manning Walker’s next projects is a feature-length film about consent. If this short is anything to go by, Manning Walker is a talent to look out for.

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Your powerful short documentary Deleted is now available to watch. For those who don't know, what's the documentary about? Deleted is about the last five hours of a 58 year old man Ahmed Hussein Sidiqi before he becomes homeless due to bureaucratic systems by the Department for Work and Pensions. Why did you want to tell this man's story? I wanted to tell Mr Sidiqi's story for so many reasons, firstly to bring awareness of how many homeless people have been found dead on the streets across the United Kingdom and no one seems to be talking about it Another reason was to listen to Mr Sidiqi's problem and tell his story in the most dignified way I could possibly think of. Another reason was to remind viewers that anyone could be homeless. In the case of Mr Sidiqi, a middle-class man who has never been dependant on any government benefit in his life and the only time he did that support was not there. I wanted to really look into Mr Sidiqi's eyes, as we often pass by our homeless people on our streets as if they do not belong to our society. What has the journey been like getting the film out to festivals and online? Deleted has been received beautifully throughout the film festival journey, I miss the reactions from the audience in the cinema, there is something special about the cinema experience which can’t be the same as online. 2020 has seen Deleted going through online screenings, which was good as people from around the world were able to see it so that’s the good part of the online process. The only thing I missed out on was travelling as far as the USA & South Africa due to the covid situation but above all it was well received. Where can people watch Deleted? Deleted is available on Amazon / Samsung TV / Roku soon iTunes / Apple TV and proceeds goes to a Homeless Charity. https://www.amazon.com/Deleted-Ahmed-Hussain-Siddiqi/dp/B08HGMQPVN https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/deleted/umc.cmc.5j5foztqehdfnex1vswvy6c0k What's next for you? I have two projects going: one is almost done and is called RESHAPED. It's a narrative short starring Vicky Knight (known for her role in Dirty God by Socha Polak which is available now on BBC iPlayer) and more supporting roles to be announced. The next one doesn't have a title but I can say it's set in Glasgow, Scotland which I’ve already had the incredible Jamie Robson sign-on, so as soon as I finish RESHAPED I'll start with my 3rd story. Why do you make movies? I make movies for so many reasons, I remember growing up as a child, movies took me to so many countries learning human interactions, relationships, situations from different areas of the world. I also like to take the audience through valleys and landscapes of life as one of my favourite directors says “If we open people up we’d find landscapes”, Agnes Varga. But above all is to transport the audience into a world of imagination or taking one to be aware of those untold stories that require to be out there for so many reasons. Who would you love to work with and why? This is a difficult one as I have a long list but I’ll narrow it down to 4, 2 males 2 females. Mahershala Ali / Eddie Redmayne and Olivia Coleman and Michaela Cole. For me, Mahershala is the Denzel Washington of our time, very versatile with his performances but so grounded and his inner performances are very strong. Eddie is quite quirky and he's great with vulnerability which is beautiful on screen. Michaela, who gosh I could do so much with her, she’s like an eagle very free and wild and anything can happen and I love that. The wonderful Olivia whom I adore, her sense of humour and her quirky vulnerability she has unique ways of playing with her characters. To be fair I could easily pair all these actors, for example, Eddie with Mahershala and Michaela with Olivia, probably going on the comedy road with matching :) What would you say if you were a dolphin? Can you guys stop throwing your plastic in my house thank you! #ChrisOlson Watch the Deleted documentary trailer below:

★★★ Stars Directed by: #GeorgeClooney Written by: #MarkLSmith Starring: #GeorgeClooney, #FelicityJones, #DavidOyelowo, #CaoilinnSpringall, #TiffanyBoone Film Review by: Alicia Moore “A lone scientist in the Arctic races to contact a crew of astronauts returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.” The Midnight Sky is a film based on the book Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton, which has recently been released on Netflix. Immediately, the concept of this film intrigued me to a great extent, as well as spotting a few of my favourite names within the cast and crew. I didn’t want to set extremely high exceptions due to the fact that I wanted to immerse myself in the space it provides on screen without high boarders holding me back, and I’m glad I chose that path. It is a worthy film, truly, but definitely does not escape a fair share of faults overall. Of course, to see George Clooney’s name as director made me beyond excited — I’ve always been quite fascinated by his directorial work; one of the films I find myself recommending the most to people is Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. I love that film entirely, and I’ve found that it carries a certain ‘Clooney flare’ that can be uncovered in his other films where he stands as director. Clooney’s strategies have an underlying sense of colour, even when the film consists of activities such as murder, and the casting choices have been known to enhance that colour further, just like Sam Rockwell’s work as Chuck Barris. However, The Midnight Sky is vastly different when referring to this flare. It possesses a more mediocre, almost egotistical, approach to the story. I wasn’t expecting the same burst of vitality as his other films because of the more weighty storyline, but I was disappointed to see that all of the flare had been drowned and no form of colour enhancement could generally be seen. Although, that doesn’t completely destroy any praise I do carry for Clooney’s work on this film. Despite my subtle disappointments, he still showcased progression in his techniques that catch the eye. Taking my mentioning of the lack of ‘colour enhancement’ into consideration, this by no means indicates that the cast members do not present amazing performances. The acting is easy to watch, a graceful way to convey an ultimately heartbreaking story. Each character carries a consistency of personality throughout that is then built upon by the unfolding events. Essentially, The Midnight Sky can be described as being split into two stories that connect at heart as events occur within space as well as on Earth. An impressive connection can be felt between the two groups of individuals despite the many miles separating them; this is certainly down to acting abilities and how the cast adapt to their characters. The screenplay itself, written by Mark L. Smith, needed a lot more development to let stronger emotion cycle in all aspects. The emotional connection of the characters cannot affectively transmit onto the audience due to the break in depth of the basis of the storyline. Even such elements like an explanation of what the global catastrophe consists of, some hard hitting details that directly heightened the senses of the viewer, would bridge this inclusive cycle greatly. The highest praiseworthy factor of The Midnight Sky is the music introduced during its duration (by Alexandre Desplat.) There are many different tones used within the tracks that perfectly suit the film and, in particular, the scenes that they are used in. This orchestral soundtrack evokes the sense of place — be it the quiet research station where the stars are shining above, the instruments mimicking their sparkle, or the true vastness of space with heavier, drumming beats that pound deep in the ears. The Midnight sky is not a film with overwhelmingly spectacular qualities, but it is still a very delectable watch. The visuals are compelling and can be gazed upon mesmerisingly. I’m actually more interested in reading the book the film is based on after watching though; I’m eager to dive into the story as it was originally presented.

★★ Directed by: #NormanHuntJr & #ColinDodds Written by: #ColinDodds Starring: #BradBarless, #SharonMesmer, #AaronSeward, #GrantCatton Short Film Review by Taryll Baker It’s 1991 in New York City. It’s the perfect racket. See the the ‘true’ story of gangsters, extra-terrestrials, consumer electronics and the marketing campaign that brought it all crashing down… Talking heads, a punchy soundtrack pulled from Vangelis’ discography, and a load of crime. The 6th Finger of Tommy The Goose is set in a gritty 1991 New York, the height of gambling, dealing and merchandising for a gang of criminals. Norman Hunt Jr. and Colin Dodds’ new “documentary” is a fictional take on a disgruntled history. I’m presuming it’s fictional, since I couldn’t find any information on the subjects, and it doesn’t explicitly say anywhere that it’s real. It’s a low budget film, certainly looking the part with its boxy aspect ratio and fuzzy audio recording, which sets it firmly in that early 90s setting, although it plays out sometime in the future since it discloses information about their activities in the past. Although this is a very well written piece, and pretty expertly performed — it’s really like a documentary — It’s just not very appealing to me. But I will say it was an interesting watch, if only for its wild story. This short runs for 30 minutes and the entire time it’s dialogue. Talking heads and the odd shot of city streets, archival footage and islands for reference points. That’s already a huge undertaking for a writer, to keep a viewer interested that long with only words. It just barely worked for me, but I’m sure others who are more inclined to enjoy the gangster flick to find this thoroughly entertaining. All of the actors do a fine job with the script — again, I can’t tell if it’s fictional or not, I haven’t been presented with much information in the film — there’s a lot of convincing emotion and visualising through words. Some filler text is added in between certain story beats that just fleshes out the context a little more. It’s a well structured film, alluding to that Scorsese style (you can’t expect me not to refer to him when writing about a gangster flick). The Vangelis soundtrack is a nice addition, a little intrusive from time to time, but a suitable supplement. Overall, The 6th Finger of Tommy The Goose is an amateur short, with some good performances and a decent script, but not the most engrossing work. If anything, most of what I’m feeling stems from confusion since I couldn’t figure out precisely what was going on, and when this was filmed. #TaryllBaker

★★★★ Directed by: Bradley Charlton Written by: Bradley Charlton Starring: Georgina Voaden, Tom Metcalf Film Review by: Jason Knight This psychological thriller focuses on the life of a troubled woman. It's plot resembles Jacob's Ladder (1990). Anais White (Voaden) is a career driven woman who appears to be in control of her life. However this changes when she begins experiencing sinister visions. These visions appear to be memories from her unfortunate past, revealing her abusive relationship with former boyfriend David (Metcalf) and that she might had been responsible for someone's death. The film has a nonlinear narrative, cutting back in time through Anais's flashbacks. It also mixes fantasy with reality using an interesting technique: the heroine imagines a blue door and when she goes through it, she enters another time period of her past. Voaden is fantastic as an intelligent individual, whose life is turned upside down when her visions commence. She is very believable at being a decent person one second and then in an instance is shown as a tormented drug addict. It is almost as if she is portraying two completely different people. Metcalf is also terrific as her old partner, who at first was gentle and friendly and then became aggressive and got her involved in drugs. The editing is very creative. The filmmakers make quite effective use of fast cutting and dissolve techniques, creating intense sequences, especially during the visions. The use of lighting is also outstanding, with lighting repeatedly flashing on and off, generating chaos. Although nearly the entire film was made utilizing color, there are brief, but beautiful shots of black-and-white cinematography, which include the closeup of a lightbulb and the extreme closeup of an eye. The score fits perfectly with the mood of the narrative. It is intense, dynamic and sinister, helping create moments of chaos and drama. There are scenes of normality, but generally the story is rather dark. This is mostly due to the scenes that reveal the protagonist's relationship with Andy, which went from bad to worse. The scenes are distressing and so is the aftermath of the devastating car accident that takes place. This short film contains outstanding acting and a great deal of drama. It explores themes of mental health disorder, drug addiction, relationships and domestic violence. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: #GeorgeHellings Short film review by: Brian Penn In that dim and distant land we call the past ‘Drag’ had an unequivocal meaning at least in my own mind. It was essentially men dressing as women; pantomime dames populating the festive season and a thriving cabaret circuit made famous by Danny La Rue. A quintessentially British theatrical tradition of cross-dressing performers seemed to be just an act. But times have changed and moved into an entirely new environment of vibrancy and self-expression. Norwich appears to be a typical provincial city with a football club struggling to get out of the Championship. My ignorance knows no bounds as I also discover it is the centre of a lively queer scene. This documentary follows three budding drag artists making their way through an emerging night culture; expressing their identity through performance, visual artistry, and community. One describes their approach to drag as visually non-binary combining elements of masculinity and femininity. Drag is an extension of their own persona and therefore not an act per se. Another deals with hyper femininity as a means of figuring out their own gender identity. Others believe that drag is more a fluid concept and not just about woman illusion. The film provides a revealing glimpse into a side of life that is easily misunderstood. Society is now redrawing the lines of convention and rightly allows people to be who they are. More importantly, they can express themselves without fear of ridicule or rejection. In the 21st century we should be better equipped to embrace the spirit of individuality and accept everyone is different. For all its brevity the film makes its point with clarity and precision. Life is multi-coloured and multi-layered and should never judge anyone by what we consider to be ‘normal’. Today I’m wiser than I was yesterday; that must surely be progress?

★★★★ Directed by: Alice Maio Mackay Written by: Alice Maio Mackay, Ben P. Robinson Starring: Max Garcia-Underwood, Shabana Azeez, Charlotte Jakubowski, James McCluskey- Garcia, Vincent Donato, Brendan Cooney Film Review by: Jason Knight As the title suggests, this Australian short, dark comedy horror film's plot involves teeth. Sharp teeth. The kind that belong to vampires. Something sinister is going on. Dead bodies of gay men are often being found, their bodies completely drained An activist (Azeez) and her friend (Underwood) are trying to find out who is committing the murders. They discover that they are dealing with vampires. But there are two groups. One consists of Jordan (Donato) and his followers, who drink the blood of the ones who are afraid. The other consists of just two vampires: Layla (Jakubowski) and Prick (Garcia), who prey on people who hate. The film includes elements that are often seen in vampire films. Plenty of blood, the heroes fighting vampires, vampires fighting each other, scenes of vampires doing what they do best: putting their fangs inside people's necks and there is also the stake-to-the-heart. Unsurprisingly, since this is a story about these kind of creatures, the action takes place at nighttime, mostly in dark, dirty alleys that are filled with graffiti. This not not just a vampire story. The film begins with a voice-over of a conversation between a radio host and his guest. They are discussing hate crimes, while scenes of a man being beaten and a bloodied body are shown. It then cuts to a group of men dressed as drag queens walking towards a nightclub, where a bunch of preachers are waiting for them and proceed shout abuse to them. There is also a brief shot of a pride parade. The film shows drag artists as often as it shows vampires. It offers a look into the life of drag queens and raises awareness for hate crimes. The actors who play vampires all deliver entertaining and scary performances. Donato is the most frightening and evil one, not willing to show mercy to anyone. The ones who portray mortals also do a good job. The film is well directed, making effective uses of lighting techniques. The makeup is done very well and the fangs look very cool. Praise also goes to the stylized opening and closing credits. The music is creepy, suspenseful and terrifying, matching the tone of the film perfectly. This story is fun to watch. It offers a thrilling ride that includes humour and terror. It also raises the issue regarding injustice and hostility towards homosexuals. #JasonKnight

★★ Directed by: Scott Spiegel Written by: Michael D. Weiss, Eli Roth Starring: Sarah Habel, Kip Pardue, Brian Hallisay and Zulay Henao Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Hostel: Part 3 Film Review Ah, 2011, the year of the royal wedding, of Charlie Sheen’s public meltdowns and Kim Kardashian’s more public divorce and the end of the Harry Potter franchise...thank god, and amongst all this piping hot pop-culture action there was the final instalment, the last part of the puzzle, the straight to video wonder...Hostel: Part 3. Let’s get the layout of this flick out the way first, 4 friends (4!!! I thought Hostel only allowed 3 kills at a time! Aw, man, it’s gonna be a crazy film) go on a bachelor trip to the one and only Las Vegas, and in the same style as all these films they wanna get laid, they wanna get drunk and they wanna dry hump ladies on the dance floor to hard house anthems...no please, not again. But oh no, one of the friends does not come back to the hotel room and everyone has to go looking for him which means they bumble around using flip phones and soon uncover the underground American version of the human hunting club, it’s like Scooby-Doo but with blood and sadness. Of course, the Americans like to do things bigger and better, of course, this time the people being killed are observed by a room of hunting club members who place bets on what way the executioner decides to kill the victim, they press buttons, place bets and are served drinks by sexy ladies...ah man, that's the American Dream right there. Just before you think things cannot go any more ham we find out that one of the friends is a member and this whole thing is a set up in order for him to get a bigger thrill, kill his best friend and take his lady! In true Hostel fashion, it all ends in a big bloody showdown...with fireworks and bald eagles...or something American and flashy, I mean it’s Vegas baby. But what do we get from Hostel: Part 3? What separates it from the rest? Well aside from 4 people and the gambling idea...not a lot, the twist ending was predictable, the gore had been played out before and lacked any kind of suspense, and the characters were dry, over masculine and without any kind of arc for us to invest in. So what did we learn from it? Well, surprisingly it made me realise that the ambiguity and deliberate character hatred that was injected into the first Hostel was something to value, watching this franchise made me almost want to take back my slight distaste for the first instalment. I had to see how bad horror could be to appreciate the finesse that Eli Roth has when it comes to making gore based horror, he adheres to the idea that less is often more, Hostel should have stayed a single piece of work, we should never have seen how the bidding on victims worked, how the hunting club expanded worldwide, for the real fear came from not knowing what was on the other side of the door. But back to Hostel: Part 3, for all my bad-mouthing I found the pace of the film enjoyable, and at only 88 mins long it does not drag too much, I mean who needs more than that time wise to cut someone’s face off? The characters are not detestable and you can tolerate them to a certain degree, and of course, the high action ending is gonna press the buttons of anyone who likes guns, knives and big explosions. And that my loyal readers is the end, we made it ...wipe the sweat off your brow and take a seat, for Hostel has been a wild and somewhat repetitive ride, but fun. Never underestimate that it was fun and if we have learned anything from it, it’s never to trust people with dog tattoos...ever, or dogs...they have human eyes, actually just trust no one. #RachelPullen

★★★ Directed by: #Rinoshun Written by: #Rinoshun Starring: #Rinoshun Film Review by: Patrick Foley What a profound period the first lockdown was for us all. Hours and hours of empty time, and with it the opportunity to create, innovate and refine our skills and creative urges to finally put those ideas locked away by our daily lives into reality. Or just time to curl up into a ball and cry whilst watching boxsets on repeat. The Butterflies Have Died is a little bit of both experiences – a solo-creative endeavour from director Rinoshun which highlights the loneliness of quarantine and the psychological toll it can take. A writer fights off the monotony of lockdown, filling his days of isolation with whatever meaningless tasks float through his mind as he tries to refocus on work. As the isolation takes its toll, the danger of the pandemic is overtaken by the writer’s spiritual and mental struggles – which leave him questioning his own reality and the choices he has made. The Butterflies Have Died was created during the height of India’s COVID lockdown – with the most stringent restrictions determining the nature of this unique production. The entire film was written, filmed and performed by its director Rinoshun, and in these most challenging and demanding of circumstances, it is a fine accomplishment – albeit one with the types of flaws that would be expected of a completely solo production. The film is black-and-white, with past and dream sequences in colour – no prizes for identifying the metaphor there. The film is not afraid to get experimental – and the psychedelic, LSD-fuelled sequences are a highlight. The plot is loose and undefined, leaving much to the viewer’s interpretation. Solely focused on the writer’s mental state, the film is a deeply personal experience which taps into the struggles we all feel that have been exacerbated by isolation. Rinoshun does a great job of showing that the writer’s problems are not the result of lockdown, but of his own inability to confront his demons. The writing often meanders and is prone to overlong and uncomfortable diatribes. You imagine that this would have been rectified with the help of an editor, but given the circumstances it is a forgivable flaw. Rinoshun’s self-directed performance is convincing and will echo the difficulties its audience have suffered throughout the summer of COVID (prior to the mind-bending breakdown scenes that is, at least one would hope…). Long, drawn out monologues and one-sided conversations stagnate the film, and no amount of over-emoting can keep the viewer’s attention unfortunately. The strength of the performance instead comes from the physicality Rinoshun brings – from the boredom he experiences at the lockdown’s implementation through to his torment as his mental state declines. Again, given the nature of the project these failings are understandable, but the cracks become too much at times to prevent eyes from rolling. In a summer that has produced countless COVID-filmed solo projects from directors across the world, standing out is a near-impossible task. But The Butterflies Have Died aims high with its original and experimental exploration of the damage of isolation. The flaws on display are intrinsic to the circumstances of its creation, and it is difficult to see how they could have been rectified without removing the element that makes the film unique. And if imperfections are the cost of originality, then that is a price cinema should always pay.

★★★★ Directed by: Ross McGowan Written by: Craig McDonald-Kelly Starring: Chris Evangelou, Humzah Awan, James Cosmo Film Review by: Jason Knight A boxing match is taking place. It is WBF Super Middleweight Fight and Mason Mendoza is going against Andre Gibson. The film begins during the ninth round. Mason (Evangelou) is bleeding and losing against Andre (Awan). His only chance of winning is through knockout. Mason's cornermen encourage him with determination to win. Much to Mason's dissatisfaction, his father, Eddie Royce (Cosmo) is cornering Andre. This ten-minute film was shot during intermission of a real Fight Night in York Hall and all the extras are actual boxing fans who were there to see a boxing match. Nearly the entire story takes place inside the ring. A great deal of drama takes place during these ten minutes. There is fighting, the constant cheering of the crowd, Mason's desperate attempts to win and his relationship with his father is also brought to light. The film was shot to look like one long take from start to finish. The camera focuses mainly on Evangelou and follows him as he competes, receives advice from his corner and interacts with people. The filmmakers did a fantastic job with keeping the pace and filmed the events from great angles. There is a sequence that involves very creative sound techniques. Mason is knocked down and is nearly unconscious, the camera filming him from above. The film then goes in slow motion, the sounds of cheering and shouting sink into the background and his thoughts are clearly heard through voice-over. He is remembering harsh words his father said to him in the past. He then rises. It is a brilliant sequence and gives clues about Mason's character. The acting is very convincing. Evangelou is outstanding as a veteran boxer, who has worked hard in order to get to where he is now. Awan does a good job as his disrespectful opponent and Cosmo is the disapproving father. Although technically this is a boxing film, it focuses a lot on the relationship Mason has with his father, which does not appear to be positive. They seem to have differences and Eddie (a former champion himself) ended up taking his opponent's side. The general impression appears to be that Mason does not really care about winning the fight, rather he wants his father's approval. The closing credits deserve a lot of praise. As the credits roll, part of the screen shows black-and-white footage of Mason shadowboxing in a ring in slow motion. And the song 'Boundless' by Upaya Hills wonderfully draws a curtain on this emotional tale. #JasonKnight Trailer: