NO TRAILER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
First, the Recap:
Unexpressed, unarticulated, unvoiced sentiments. We traverse this life and all its essence with constant moments of communication between other human beings, whether our direct relations, friends, or even the random strangers that come across our path. Yet, are there not those times where we didn’t say something and then wished we had? Is it ever too late to release what has now resided within for far too long? A serene park finds itself the location of a distinctively conspicuous, old style red phone booth. As random people enter, including a robber (Pushkar Vartak), an old man (Manoj Tiwari), a mother and daughter (Mitu Tiwari Raphael & Suhana Raphael), and a group of women (Sangeeta Agrawal, Padmini Taskar, & Chetna Gola), they all verbalize their thoughts to those they call, while a mystified cyclist (Ahsan Zulfiqar) discovers an equally enigmatic truth about this object of everyone’s attention.
Next, my Mind:
A deeply poignant lesson in what has been left unsaid and is in need of being released to those directly impacted by thoughts previously kept contained whether by choice or fear of reaction, this 16-minute short film from director/editor/cinematographer Mansoor Ahmed and writer Hema Ahmed, a part of the 2020 Storytellers Film Showcase presented by Storytellers, addresses it all with uncomplicated, straightforward style but then accentuates the proceedings via a hugely stirring exclamation point of a finale that places a whole new interpretation, emotional weight, and touching intentionality on the narrative, leaving a lasting impact on the viewer.
What struck me so much here is the totally unassuming nature and atmosphere the film takes on from the start, a simple enough tale of one random phone booth and the denizens who utilize it to talk to friends, family, accomplices, et al about anything and everything that’s on their minds, whether positive or negative. It all seems a bit trite on the surface, and could usher in a bit of potential disengagement on the part of viewers. I mean, what else can be done other than it being an ode to analog communication in a digital age, right? Then comes the reason it’s all worth the time invested, an unreservedly beautiful, wholly unforeseen twist that I felt was masterfully presented even with the initial build-up perhaps being slightly stagnant.
But as I have stated countless times in countless reviews over the years, this IS what the indie film community excels at, and I mean that in ALL the best ways! It is being willing TO devote that time to allow a story to lead to something, even more so when it isn’t immediately evident WHAT that is, because more often than not, the payoff is so wonderfully worthy, carrying a sudden infusion of clarity and meaningful reverberations as hinted at above. It’s all what you choose to take away from what you see, at least that’s how I always approach things when watching a given story unfold, and this film does such a good job at just making you wonder “what exactly is the point of these people and this phone booth??” beyond the obvious in what we witness.
Another ongoing strength of indie cinema is the use of ensemble casts, and that is precisely what is employed here, which works quite efficiently and purposefully for the intent being implemented. Each actor makes their presence known in the appropriate way to solidly reflect not just their character’s personalities, but their very being, who they are, and why they find themselves having to make the calls that they do. Whether Vartak’s harried, frantic criminal, Tiwari’s reflective-upon-life old man, Raphael’s disheveled, devalued mother and younger Raphael’s innocently naïve-to-reality young girl, or Agrawal’s, Taskar’s, and Gola’s party-centric but doting friends, they all have a story to share with those they’re contacting, and the final note as struck by Zulfiqar’s cyclist brings it all together with a profoundly resounding, heartfelt soul that, once more as mentioned above, hits you right where it should.
So, in total, “Tele-Phone” stands as yet another impressive outing from Storytellers in that the overt humanness of it all is exactly what makes it worthy of praise, consideration, and if needs be said, “bearing with it” in order to reach the acutely written conclusion that will make you realize this–for everything we go through in this world, having any means to liberate those feelings inside in a powerful, expressive, and worthwhile way is more than admirable to discover and exploit for our inner well-being and greater peace with everyone around us.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
