Kuchar (The Itch)
Vaidaangi Sharma
2025, 20 mins.
Like daughter like mother
Ah youth! So many things to discover even as our bodies change. Sometimes, we’re unsure about—apparently—forbidden/unexpected feelings as they emerge. What better way than to satisfy them by sitting, legs wide open, on the family washing machine, then see/feel where those vibrations take you?
Clearly, at the centre of everything is entering puberty. Chandra (Subhashree Sahoo provides a wonderfully nuanced performance), as she, er, comes to grips with her blossoming womanhood (largely without any educational supports). Meanwhile, Mom (an appropriately reticent then “Let’s talk” take by Neha Vyaso), shows wisdom beyond both of their years once they’ve discovered a common interest in reading and reacting to Indian porn novels.In today’s too-reliant-on-social-media methods of delving into who we really are, Sharma’s film should become required viewing globally. Of course, filled with so much truth about how our bodies emerge into adulthood, any MAGA-controlled jurisdiction would ban it on the spot.
JWR
The Bride's Curse
Alex Kavutskiy, Jerzy Rose
2025, 20 mins.
Lying with the devil
Here’s an intriguing take on the old marriage adage, “Till death do us part”. In this instance, thanks to a Russian curse spanning generations on whomever becomes the groom, uttering three lies after the vows will lead to a completely unwanted sign of horniness, the business bit of sex taking a hike before a last breath concludes the prediction and allows the bride—sprouting alligator tears—to move on to the next generous with the truth (and likely other bits) husband du jour.
The principals (Alex Karpovsky, Tipper Newton) are most convincing as the suddenly challenged couple while the (“Honestly, I have to tell you or die!”) concubine, Tatyana (is convincingly portrayed by Anna Seregina).
Do take a look (if you dare, unless you have never told a lie), then contemplate just how long your life might continue if you ever fall under the same curse. JWR
Georgie
Jennifer Butler
2025, 12 mins.
The fine art of loneliness
What happens to dangerous, mobsterishish criminals when their time is up in prison (in this case, 2025, a compassionate discharge), or Baltimore’s George Martorano: it’s about sipping on red wine, dips in the pool, lots of exercise, some stand-up bits at the Italian American Social Club in Vegas and—beyond, at max, a two-night stand with the opposite sex—accepting and revelling in loneliness.
It's a quiet, curious film that never celebrates criminality, but—even through poetry—reminds us all that humanity does come in all shapes and sizes. JWR