A Potpourri of Vestiges Review
By Murtaza Ali Khan
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
Some of the most interesting
audiovisual experiments that are happening around the world are being
channelized through the medium of short films. A very unique short film that
recently caught my attention is Unskin, written and directed by British
filmmaker Elcid Asaei at Crimson Black
Productions. What makes the film unique is how it seamlessly blends the
world of narrative cinema with contemporary dance. A thought-provoking and
visually striking story set in an alternative London, Unskin has been described
by Elcid as “’A Christmas Carol’ meets ‘The Dark Knight’ in the ‘Twilight Zone’”.
Unskin revolves around a
disenfranchised man named Roger Piper. Piper is a quiet yet rebellious agent of
positive change in the dysfunctional setting. He unleashes an alien-like
alter-ego named ‘UNSKIN’ who stalks the landscape and abducts alienated and
morally corrupt mortals, leading them through a metamorphosis that sheds their
artificial masks and transcends them from division to unity.
In order to create the
unique dance premise of this film, Elcid collaborated with independent
choreographer Konstantina Skalionta, who trained at the Central School of
Ballet and London Contemporary Dance School. In the words of Konstantina: “My
specialisation in performances based on the human condition and the parallels I
recognized in the screenplay for UNSKIN drew me strongly to the project”.
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| A still from Elcid Asaei's Unskin |
Unskin has a diverse cast
and crew of emerging British, European and Global filmmaking talent. In the
words of Elcid: “The story has a spiritual element at its heart, yet was also
inspired by contemporary debates around environmental, social, race, and gender
identity in increasingly divisive times. The key aim for the project was to
create an eloquent and entertaining film that explored and made sense of these
issues.”
This timely thriller, with
its interesting setting, defies expectations and ambition for a short film and
offers audiences a mysterious and surreal story that is visually bold,
entertaining, and original. Apart from its cinematic brilliance, the short film
also succeeds in exposing the dark side of humanity, reminding us that the negative
thoughts and emotions are the root cause of all our troubles. Also, to be able
to achieve so much in just 15 minutes is nothing short of remarkable.
Unskin is a powerful reminder of the enormous creative potential of the short film format. Let's not forget that it is always a big challenge to be able to propagate your idea within the limited scope of a short film. And yet at the same time it allows the storytellers to leverage upon the power of cinema to economically tell meaningful tales reflecting upon the humanity at large. Unskin is one such tale that succeeds in effectively telling its thought provoking story without ever appearing forced. Highly recommended!
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| A Still from Unskin |
Unskin is a powerful reminder of the enormous creative potential of the short film format. Let's not forget that it is always a big challenge to be able to propagate your idea within the limited scope of a short film. And yet at the same time it allows the storytellers to leverage upon the power of cinema to economically tell meaningful tales reflecting upon the humanity at large. Unskin is one such tale that succeeds in effectively telling its thought provoking story without ever appearing forced. Highly recommended!
For more information on
UNSKIN, and to watch the eye-catching teaser, visit the film’s website and IMDB page. For social media,
visit the Facebook fan
page and Instagram
feed.
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
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