Directed by: Aisling Conroy
Distributed by: TBA
Written by Alexander Reams
88/100
From the first drumbeat of the score in Aisling Conroy’s animated short “Bardo,” I knew there was something special about this film, the way the characters speak to each other, instead of ulterior motives, it’s out of genuine love for them. The way the animation moves as if it is a conversation itself. And that is intentional, the plot is inherently intertwined with the surroundings of the characters. The young woman we follow during the film is constantly questioning what’s around her, especially when a simpler and happier life continues to appear to her. There is a wonderful level of surrealism throughout, but not how it usually is, to imply dread, unease, and uncertainty, here it’s meant to provide a light, a sense of escape, that our lead desperately wants. “Bardo” could easily suffer from a case of illusions of grandeur, but Conroy’s tight direction and flowing dialogue allow for us to feel every leaf that crunches under the young woman’s feet, every tree branch swaying in the wind, but still have time to marinate on the themes at play here.
“Bardo” was screened as part of the 2022 edition of the Tribeca Film Festival.
You can connect with Alexander on his social media profiles: Instagram, Letterboxd, and Twitter. Or see more of his work on his website.
