NO TRAILER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
WATCH THE FILM HERE with all proceeds going to the filmmakers!
First, the Recap:
Sentient, vigilant, watchful, aware. It sounds so much like the demeanor we must outwardly take in this contemporary age when the world finds itself in an often glaring state of unrest. Having to be “on our toes” has become the new norm, which has both strengthened yet lessened us as people, when fears seem to dictate life more than logical cognizance. But, there is also this mindset when it comes to our inner notions of how we see ourselves and the position in existence we walk each day. How we choose to navigate this can be the difference between discovering the light or being lost in darkness. For one man, this is his journey unfolding before us.
Next, my Mind:
Anomalous and peculiar as much as it is relatable and the sobering current reality as it applies to the human condition, this eleven and a half minute animation-centric short, screened at the 2020 Berlin Revolution Film Festival, comes courtesy of writer/director/producer/animator Michelangelo Fornaro plus writer Mariangela Fornaro and carries with it a thought-provoking message about just how much we as people struggle to grasp onto a connection to the actuality around us that not only allows us to thrive, but to have an intentional sense of freedom from the pressures faced and not allowing them to become the place we dwell rather than deal with.
It reminds us of how we reach for those things that define us which can suddenly seem fleeting and elusive, never quite within our full comprehension or experience, and it tends to skew our state of mind. Here, this idea is illustrated quite effectively through use of stop motion and 2D animation portraying the storms, pain, haunted looks, and shadowy places we could endure when in the midst of this inner turmoil. Even the way the primary character and associated characters that appear are depicted is eerie, providing that aforementioned haunting essence to the narrative, all of which is unfolding without any form of dialogue.
It begs the question that asks can look deeply at who we are and accept where it leads us, or do we run from it, trying to outrun all our faults and hesitancies? Even a sequence that showcases being “lost in the woods”, blown about by extreme tempests until almost nothing of us remains, is affectingly potent imagery and certainly drives home the purposes and objective I felt the filmmaker was wanting to make here. But, it must be pointed out that the film does a fine job at also making us realize that if we manage to push through push against it, seeking the light and to be made whole, there can be that welcome release, calm, and serenity to relish and take on.
Thanks to the workings of animator Fornaro, who presents both the 2D and sculpture-based visuals here, it is then brought together by animator Eleonora Pacciani whose deft touch really injects the film with its sense of emotionally tumultuous tone and overall manner that highly defines both the attitudes of despair and hope the story elicits. This combines with the evocative music score from Giuseppe Tranquillino Minerva featuring Laura Comuzzi on violin and Urbano Pettazzoni on cello which creates an emotive ambiance that so wonderfully accompanies the film’s varying moods with a soundscape that strikes the heart with precision and poignancy.
And so, in total, “Alma” is yet another effort from BRFF 2020 that fruitfully and constructively captures the core theme of our human journey, utilizing highly artistic and creative means to illustrate the paths we tread, willing to explore the stormier sides of our inner workings while then providing the needed hope that is so necessary during uncertain times like now. It’s a tribute to indie film and the artists who make it happen, as I often say, and really cannot say enough.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
