This short film debuted in 2013, created as a graduation project by Parachutes.TV – written, directed, and edited by Yann Pineill. Symmetry: A Palindromic Film was written symmetrically where the second half is exactly the same as the first, except it was shown backwards and mirrored. The short started off by showing many different shots of a boy and girl in their daily ritual, unclear what to expect. As the film progresses, we start to see the formation of a conflict.

The film itself emphasizes the relationship of a boy and girl and the boy’s experience in finding his clarity. After the couple got into a conflict, he runs off, only to find comfort in the arms of another woman. That was the main concept of the first part, where the second part was continued exactly the same except in reversal. The whole concept blended together nicely creating continuous shots from the beginning to end.

Some of the most creative parts about this short are its angles and length of shots. It showcased so many different angles that were framed nicely and suiting to the shots, as well as the very short shots, that surprisingly pieced together well and maintained good continuity. The short and creative angles of the shots also give a classy and mysterious field to it, creating an unexpected and curious desire towards the audience.

This film was also supported with great background music, creating a moment for every shot and created a continuous flow – especially for a film with no dialogues. Despite the absence of conversation, the emotions of the characters were still well conveyed and easily felt.

The overall flow of the film falls back neatly – creating a mind-churning film. It brings something new and fresh to the cinematic scene, so this film is definitely something to watch.

Text by Cesilia Faustina