RIFLE RANGE BOY

A Chiara (Italian; 2022) Director:  Jonas Carpignano That is what coming-of-age means. Growing up, we are imbibed with teachings of what is right and wrong. Our perception of the world is made, and we want to lead a life full of good virtues and abstain from negativities. Our first teachers about life, the future and the outside get a special honorarium in my mind. We placed them on a pedestal and became a  reference point in our future decision-making. Then we are slowly exposed to the outside world. We make friends. We become aware that life is not so straightforward after all. People do wrong things and are still cool about it. Our eyes are open to the reality of life. Suddenly our parents are not so saintly anymore. They have their gross shortcomings. The ideal world that we wanted to build becomes an unfulfilled dream.   We become another spoke in the world of misfortune. Did the parents do what they did for the family's well-being, for a better life, fully awar...

Mulk (Hindi, Country; 2018) Human beings are social animals. Maybe it is because of our cavemen living situations, we feel comfortable in being amongst the same minded. We believe that numbers make strength. We also try to blame our mishaps to the other. It is never our mistake. With our thinking capability and our skill in the association of ideas, we can quickly put two and two together and blame our malady on the other who look, speak or dress differently . Subtly, it creates a 'us' versus 'them' divide. There is an innate desire to dominate the other, either through power, numbers or economy. When the going is okay, and when the cake is enough to go around, everything is hunky-dory. The society is civil. When the homeostasis is rocked, or when uncertainties befall the society, pleasantries disappear. Man goes into survival mode. Birds of the same feather flock together for comfort and security. That is when all hell breaks loose. The Jews went through the sam...