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First, The Recap:
Abstract. When we hear or read this word, it brings immediately to mind things we cannot comprehend, or at least not without some measure of real, in-depth study for meaning and clarity. Enigmatic. Another word that brings to mind mystery and, often, undefinable facets to something we’ve heard or witnessed. A hallway, dimly lit, reveals at it’s entrance in the distance a woman (Gea Martina Landini) running. It is not evident what it is that pursues her, but the distress on her face speaks volumes. Coming to a door, desperately attempting to enter, a sense that something ominous is following closely behind now, making her fear and desire to escape even more palpable. But escape from what?
Now she enters a dark room, closes the door, locking it, and slowly backs away towards the bed in the center of the room and sits back, huddling in a growing panic and exhaustion. The moon outside shows its glow as the door rattles and shakes, beams of light showing through its cracks. “They” are trying to enter. Yet, the woman begins to ease slightly, as something new takes over. A transformation begins. Is it biological? Is it mechanical? Her countenance is altered and a new journey begins, as she looks at herself in the mirror, a face cracked. We hear a myriad of voices from beyond the door, whispers of an incomprehensible language. She opens the door, a face becomes screens, a man, Christo (Michael Segal) appears, video screens and flashing lights, a camera, the images. And then it comes–rebirth.
Next, my Mind:
I’ll be honest–when this film started up, the overtly eclectic cacophony of psychedelic music alone had this reviewer a little concerned about exactly what he had gotten himself into. But, rest assured, in looking at the overall scope of it, things ultimately panned out. What gets presented to the viewer by Italian director Simon Tognarelli is a very esoteric, art-house short film that quite uniquely addresses the concept of media manipulation, a surrealist, stop motion mind trip about how we as human beings are so heavily influenced in thought by it. This imagery, deftly hitting the viewer with overwhelming and intentional sensory overload, is actually quite effective in its delivery.
Credit should very much be given not just to Tognarelli’s directing, but to actress Landini in providing her character’s wild, emotional, fearful, disjointed, and chaotic journey from fleeing “them” to reaching the transformational rebirth she experiences by the film’s end. And then the appearance of actor Michael Segal as the embodiment of “them”, Christo, brings the additional impact to the film’s media-centered message. Folks, again just being truthful, this will not be a film for everyone. You have to be willing to suspend normal concepts about story, imagery, and content and look beyond to the primary intention of the effort. There was one sequence of full-on nudity here, just an FYI, though it is not at all of a sexual nature, but to signify the film’s title, “A New Born”. While this reviewer cannot say this would be the type of film he would normally see, but for the concepts aimed for, this most certainly delivers.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
