“Way Back Home” by Jennifer Sharmila

The film addresses stylistically the difficult theme of the complex psychological fluctuation of the mindset of a young girl who has lost her father and has been searching for him. Fairly good concept and there is some noticeable mastery in the selection of images. The use of masks is significant. So also is the use of black-and-white. But, without the one-liner in the beginning, may not be comprehensible to all viewers.
The girl tries to fill the immense void by associating herself with a number of young friends but discovers the hard reality of short-lived ‘friendships’ of convenience. Finally she finds her father within her psyche as an alter ego. The subtle suggestiveness used by the filmmaker in the opening sequence of the girl’s room is superb. It has a painting by the famous and then criticised American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein; some of her most discussed significant paintings like “Drowning Girl” and “Whaam” show women steeped in emotional stress. The film starts with this premonition and subtle suggestiveness. The apparently disjoint images gradually introduce the viewer with the mental unrest of the protagonist (girl).
It is a difficult and challenging theme which has been fairly well handled by the filmmaker. The present attempt demonstrates the filmmaker’s superb cinematic skills and promises greater rendering of her creativity in the future

About the Artist:
Jennifer Sharmila Manohar has recently completed her Masters in Visual Communication from an institution of repute in Chennai. Her short film Way Back Home was awarded the Mastercrafter Award in Chotamota Art Programme March 2016. The movie is about a young girl who learns to deal with her father’s absence and explores her relationship with other men in her life.
Jennifer sees herself as a visual artist who likes creating new things every other day – as a photographer or a designer or an illustrator. Besides, she loves dabbling with performing arts like theatre and spoken poetry. She likes Packaging Design, Anime, Coding, Books and Cats. She also likes writing, particularly in third person. Film making provides her the opportunity of pursuing her manifold interests.

Leave a Comment

Chota