The Everyday Show by Viren Shinde was obviously made with so much care and had immense thought put into it. The intricacy of subtext, the ideas that this film alludes to, saying the unsaid without actually saying anything. With being a little over ten minutes, each moment of this film provides a purpose, some significance, and doesn’t waste a single second. Through stunning imagery, dialogue, and body language, this is a film that treats its audience like a collaborator.  It doesn’t hold the viewers’s hand, but expects the audience to pick up on the subtleness and allusions mentioned throughout.

This film nails the use of subtext. There are so many perfect qualities to this film, and subtext, a technique that is so hard to master is taken to another level here. The plot is seemingly just about someone promoting their new movie on a talk show, a typical occurrence on any late night show. Though, a deeper meaning culminates as Diya Agarwal, the filmmaker, says “...South Asian stories matter” and the host follows up with “Of course, of course, absolutely. All stories matter…”. This likely alludes to the response to movements like Black Lives Matter and Stop AAPI Hate. By saying “all stories matter”, this minimizes the importance of sharing South Asian stories as they are not told as much as other stories in America. Similar to saying “all lives matter”, that phrase minimizes the advocacy for equality during a time where people are arrest and murder solely because of the color of their skin. While all lives matter, all lives are not being lost because of how someone looks, they’re being lost because of targeted attacks on certain people. To advocate that Black lives matter and to stop AAPI hate are both important as these movements inform and educate large groups of people about these attacks that go unnoticed; this push is to stop attacks from reoccurring and to achieve equality. If all stories truly mattered, then a push for equality wouldn’t be needed as we would have it, yet unfortunately there is still a long way to go. So yes, all stories matter, but South Asian stories matter a little more right now because they are being underrepresented. Pushing these stories out to more people, educates and informs. This seems to be the film’s purpose as well. This film is in of itself a tool of education to show the resistance and difficulties people from South Asia and South Asian Americans face in America.

This film treats its audience as if it's having a conversation with a friend who’s already up to date on the details. Everything in the film happens in real time. All the information is developed in that moment, perfectly emulating the feel of a talk show. This feeling of disassociation ruminates throughout the film as if everything seems fine but something is slightly off. An eeriness lurks in the first act, creating tension. The tension is released as a fight breaks out, and the eeriness spills into act two and three. The switches between the distant grainy camera quality to the up close high quality shots emphasize the tension. The switches are likely used to indicate emotional change but this film takes it a step further. The eeriness is very loud as the viewer is literally immersed into the scene when the high quality camera is used. It feels invasive. Simultaneously the camera acts as its own character, intruding in on a private conversation between the host and guest. As mentioned previously, this film is a little over ten minutes but utilizes each second, each visual, each opportunity to do something great.

This film does something exceptionally unique where it emphasizes emotions to further the story rather than character development or plot. While the audience learns about the characters’ dimensions and events, the unsaid emotions drive the story. The mix of allusions and emotional depth creates this chilling and high stakes atmosphere that leaves the viewer at the edge of their seat. There are so many layers to this film. So many great ways to communicate one message are utilized, making the film so riveting to discuss.

The Everyday Show is a phenomenal film that is a must see. I would recommend it to anyone and recommend a re-watch on top of that. There are so many subtleties through this intense emotional journey. Writer and director Viren Shinde put so much thought and care into this film and it truly pays off.

The Everyday Show screens as part of the 2022 New Jersey International Film Festival as part of Shorts Program #3 on Saturday, June 11 online for 24 hours and in-person at 5PM.

Buy tickets and get more info here.  

The 27^th annual Festival will be taking place on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through June 12. The Festival will be a hybrid one as we will be presenting it online as well as doing select in person screenings at Rutgers University. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. Each ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in person screenings. The in person screenings will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at either 5PM or 7PM on their show date. Tickets: $15

For more info go here: https://2022newjerseyinternationalfilmfestival.eventive.org/