Dream Prisoners - Review
Dream Prisoners is exactly what its title evokes: a documentary about people who get stuck in their own dreams.
Elena Rubtsova and Lilya Glants directs this captivating 12-minute documentary about a fairly unknown mental condition, called maladaptive daydream, which was first described in 2002.
The film shows the testimonials of some people who have suffered from maladaptive daydreaming to the point of losing contact with their jobs, their friends, and families. The testimonials are complemented by interviews with two clinical psychologists, who explain the origins and the development of the habit.
The people affected by this condition seem to become addicted to the emotions experienced during their daydreams to the point that they aren’t able to experience them in their normal lives. So it’s surprising to learn that despite creating a huge obstruction to being able to live a healthy life, this mental issue is still not recognized as an official mental disorder.
One person, in fact, describes the disorder as being trapped in a chair and forced to watch a film created by their own mind, a sort of DIY Clockwork Orange, playing in their own head.
The film is very fast-paced as if wanting to bring the audience into the frenetic mind of a daydreamer. The editing is well done, leaving room only for the very essential. The film goes straight to the point and doesn't add any unnecessary detail, which is why it's so easy to follow.
The interesting part of this film is that not much has been written yet about this phenomenon, reason why it would be great for the directors to develop a full-length documentary on this topic, maybe with a deeper research on the types of trauma that can lead to an individual resorting to this coping mechanism: becoming a maladaptive daydreamer.
A very informative documentary that leaves the audience wanting to learn more about the disorder.
Two Point O - Review
The grainy and low-fidelity quality of Two Point O is what makes its style unique. The short film produced and directed by David Anderson and Aaron Joshua is a mix between a documentary and fiction, with the dreamy vision of the main character of his own future — a 2.0 version of himself.
The short film retraces the past of the main character, played by Joshua, through scenes interlocked with his present struggles with his addictions.
The beginning of the film shows a group of people, sitting in a circle, reciting the well-known inspirational mantra: “God, grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed, the courage to change that which can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other”. This first scene sets up the entirety of the film on a purgative and freeing level.
Some shots are vibrant, they bring us inside the very life of an addict. As the confusion rises in Aaron’s life, his ability to extricate himself from his dependencies increases. His search for a better self couldn’t have been possible without his friends, who are there for him all the way. And this is praiseworthy.
The message is positive. An improvement is possible, but only if accompanied by a true desire for change, as well as a real support system. And all this doesn’t come, unfortunately, without difficulties.
A short that gives hope to anyone who is struggling to reach the very best version of themselves.
Dissociating Vulnerability - Review
Dissociating Vulnerability is a 55-minute psychological thriller about being stuck in the past and unable to move on from it.
Right after the death of his kind-natured adoptive mom, Shinya, a young painter, starts having visions of a young woman following him everywhere he goes and having some sort of control over his actions. His estranged father reappears and wants to take care of him, and at the same time, his childhood friend from the orphanage days wants to help him get through this difficult time.
The story is very intriguing, the unfolding of the plot is well done and the film is interesting and entertaining.
The direction is quite simple, but it’s very curious how the camera is at times looking at the characters through a peephole.
This creates a distance and distortion between the audience and the characters, and puts us in the perspective of the demons, visions from another dimension spying on the young man and his loved ones from afar.
Some scenes turned out to be a bit static and slow, and the film could have benefitted from some more action and pace, especially in the direction and the editing. The acting is minimal, with the exception of a few dramatic scenes, which really bring out the emotion of the film.
Overall, a very engaging psychological thriller with good suspense and a few plot twists.
Marriage is a dramatic short film written, co-directed, and produced by Noella Jung. The film focuses on a violin performer, played by Jung, in her dressing room, right after one of her concerts.
The film opens with very angsty music, and a picture of a bride and a groom, pinned inside a violin case. Then, a woman enters the dressing room where Jung is resting and compliments her for her performance.
The rest of the film appears to be a monologue — or rather, a soliloquy considering that her interlocutor doesn’t ever appear in the frame — but it was written and directed as if it were an interview: back and forth of questions between the main character and itself that are never answered, emphasized by frequent changes in shot size and framing.
The acting is puzzling yet grounded. The screenplay is very well written, leaving a lot of double-entendres. When Jung says "you will find it rather boring as you go on", is she referring to her music, or is she referring to her marriage?
A very well-thought concept, with simple yet focused execution. This just goes to show that when a concept is clear and a film is well written, no extra gimmicks are necessary to make the film work.