At the online short film festival brought to you by independent-cinema vehicle Fliqvine and the Bangalore International Short Film Festival, there is some incredible work of Spanish cinema waiting to be discovered.

In the world of international filmdom, Spanish movies occupy a distinctively qualitative space, having produced work that has made it to the very greats. The influence of the Spanish style of filmmaking is there for everyone to see, as several English filmmakers have adopted the country’s creative and technical prowess in making films work. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there exists a thriving independent short film culture in the country of Spain, of which five extremely well-made pieces are up for screening at the Bangalore International Short Film Festival Online Edition, in partnership with Fliqvine.
Fliqvine

READ: FLIQVINE AND BISFF BRING A SHORT FILM FESTIVAL TO YOUR COMPUTER

Read on to find out what the Spanish films have to offer, and why you must catch them stat!

Pan-Demia
Directed by: Ruben Sainz

The one word that severely governs life as we know it is that of ‘happenstance’. That coincidence and randomness rules how the world functions is a cruel joke that most are privy to. Pan-Demia too, as the name would suggest, deals with this worldwide phenomenon. How a most regular day finds itself stirred due to the happenings of an unusual occurrence. When a shopkeeper, most beguiled by regularity finds herself hostage at the hands of who seems at first, a petty thief, what comes of the day? Does the thief find his loot and make a run, leaving the poor shopkeeper still hostage in the storage room? Or does his desire to remaining inconspicuous leave him unable to make a hasty run? Pan-Demia shows this and more.

Director Ruben Sainz must be credited with dishing out a sense of underlying amusement in his narration, while still keeping his storytelling taut. You find yourself eagerly waiting for how the story might pan out, surprised at its ability to elicit off of you an odd smile, and the moment of contemplation. A usual story told most unusually.

Catch the trailer here, and to watch the entire movie, head to Fliqvine.com.

A Bitter Taste
Directed by: Mireia Juarez

The tensity that grips A Bitter Taste at the very start is bold enough to keep the viewer hooked; the first thirty seconds that drip with pure uncertainness, aided by the slow pacing of movement causes much anguish. The mere description of those tense thirty seconds must be reserved for the pure enjoyment of what is to follow; allow us to tell you that you’d rather not want to know.

The underlying theme of the movie stands to test the definitive nature of decisions. The paradox of the idea of forever is addressed early on. A theme that rests with you much after the movie is over, and the night has passed. The naturality of the conversations, the lack of pretense alleviates the experience of the movie, making the viewer look forward to an ending worth waiting for.

Check out the movie’s trailer here –

No Place
Directed by: Nina S. F. Engel

The elemental tone of surrealism presented in Nina S. F. Engel’s No Place, finds able juxtaposition in the tediousness of the lead protagonist’s monotony. The man in the movie, his daily routine is marked by two significant things, opposite in nature. One, the true uniformity of his work, and the other, the mystic association of ‘lost’ women. Is our protagonist, working at the gas station, accosted to help them find their way or is the story much beyond these simplistic measures?

The director ably unearths a subtle romanticism even as she depicts a story that is most certainly beyond the ordinary, not to mention brain-teasing, in great amounts. Watch it for the sheer mysterious horror element, and find yourself shocked with the sheer uncertainty of it all.

The trailer is a much underwhelming idea of what’s in store, but the real tale more than makes up for it!

Firme Usted Aquí
Directed by: Rodrigo Zarza

The epic novel ‘Anna Karenina’ begins on a sombre note – ‘Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way’, a thought that most certainly sets the tone for Firme Usted Aquí, as it depicts the story of a family torn from within due to greed, selfish reasons and the absence of liberation. The idea of a family wanting its central figure, the Grandfather, to die soon for the money they will receive in return might sound like the theme of a classic black comedy. But a simple viewing of the film, and the Grandfather’s own personal plans might have you feel otherwise.

Assuming a deeply sarcastic tone, while being sadly intimate, Firme Usted Aquí must be especially appreciated for squeezing in such a dramatic idea in less than 11 minutes. Certainly, a lesson to take away.

Cañon Corto
Directed by: Alejo Serra

The sadness that befits monotonous lives lived in oblivion is barely ever noticed. This almost noiseless drudgery is the establishing idea of Javier’s existence. As the protagonist of Cañon Corto, he’s a work-along fellow with very little to give, or so we’re led to believe in the first 3 minutes. It takes but the discovery of something vital, something that shakes up the tediousness of everyday humdrum, to shake Javier’s life forever.

Though not a hero in the true sense of the being, you find yourself rooting for Javier as he breaks upon his rut, how so ever unconventionally as he does. This is a film peddling for the underdog, and so will you.

Here’s the trailer for the movie –

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