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.