DepicT Short Film Analysis - Plastic Dreams by Ali-Ahmed Brohi

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This short film has a very similar ideological basis as ‘Innocent Dream’, a film that I have analysed in a previous post. Its main theme is that of gender equality, particularly in South Asia as this film is set and recorded in Pakistan. In these countries, women are typically reserved and are the house workers which means that as children, while the boys get to enjoy themselves and play, the girls must help out their mothers at home. This film addresses this exact issue. It shows the young girl lusting over the simple toy that the boy has and evolves when the boy decides that he shall share his toy which he abruptly smashes onto a rock (off camera) so that he is able to share the toy with the girl.

A deeper connotation to this film is one of innocence. Society has created these stereotypes of women being conservative and not ‘playing’, but as the young boy has not yet been plagued by the conventions and impositions of society and so he knows no different but to share his toy and play with the girl.

The only audio used in this film is ambient diegetic sound. There is no speech, nor a soundtrack. This means that all of the focus of the film comes down to the narrative.

The target audience for this film is very broad as the message is a worldwide one. Perhaps it is most importantly targeted at the western world in order to make people aware of the issues that face the rest of the world. The film intends to make the viewer feel a sense of empathy towards the younger girl and tries to highlight the issue of gender equality in order to spark some sort of change either in ideological values of those in the area or in political policy.

DepicT Short Film Analysis - In the name of God by Hamed Nobari

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I chose this film to be my second favourite of those on the depict website. Firstly, because it stands out from the others for incorporating religion in its content. This is something often untouched by filmmakers, perhaps because of their unwillingness to risk taking criticism if it is not portrayed in the correct way. As well as this, I highly enjoyed this film due to its simple nature that connotes a powerful message, particularly I would say, for this who follow the religion of Islam as this is the base for the film.

As in the ‘Innocent Dream’ short film mentioned in my previous post, this film uses only one location and just a handful of shots which means that each individual shot becomes more powerful. The only audio is the diegetic sound that is minimal, but with an emphasis on the footsteps of the teacher. This adds suspense to the film in a way that intrigues the viewer into wanting to find out what happens at the climax. The fact that the climax turns out to be something so simple as the intended message for the film written on the young boy’s hand aligns with the simple message of the film.

This film, I would say, is intended at mainly an Islamic audience as the overlying message which is displayed at the climax of the film is of this nature. Although this is the case, this film could also be relevant to any person who may believe in a God as the message, although written in Arabic (the language of Islam), can be applied across all faiths. Although the film has a religious basis, it can be enjoyed and understood by all as the message of something or someone empowering an individual to go further is universally applicable.

DepicT Short Film Analysis - Innocent Dream by Ali Ahmed Brohi

I chose this film to be my favourite of all of the Depict short films since its entry in 2011. It directly challenges gender based issues, particularly that of female education. This is something that I have had second hand experience of dealing with when volunteering abroad in Africa and so the film really spoke to an issue that I am passionate about.

The film is simple, constructed of only a few shots which means that the powerful underlying message is not overshadowed by theatrics. It starts off in the ‘Innocent Dream’ world where a young girl in rural Pakistan is leaving for school in the hope that she can gain an education and better the lives of herself and her family, however the stark reality soon hits when the young girl, who is washing dishes in the corner leaves her daydream to find that it is in fact her brother being sent to school, with her being left stranded at home. This is where the innocent dream lies. We usually think of dreams as something large such as wealth and power, but the fact that the dream of many young girls in the world is simply to be able to attend school and this is why I think this film is so powerful. It shows that something taken for granted across much of the world is merely a dream for some people.

The film in its entirety is shot from the perspective of the young girl in order to create a sense of empathy within the audience. When a viewer can relate to a certain character, they can usually better understand the feelings of that character and therefore comprehend the intended narrative.

The audio is very simple, which again, works well as to enhance the film without taking away from the powerful narrative.

The target audience for this film is clearly intended to be those living in western societies who may not be fully aware of what happens across the rest of the world, and in this case, Pakistan. The film can appeal to all of comprehension age as the message is so simple. Although perhaps not directly intended, this film could be shown to children in order to enhance their understanding of the world and the privileges that they may have and take for granted.