El televidente

El Televidente is a short film created by the directing duo Lucas Damino and Sebastián Menegaz, who have a fairly short filmography, but this short film is definitely their best work. Although Argentina has several short films made officially or independently in most cases, El Televidente is most likely the best Argentine short film you can find. It has a very interesting concept that becomes captivating when you get halfway through. It starts with a series of shots of the building where Ceballos is staying and many of these scenes were made with CGI. The digital effects that were used are quite obvious, but they are impeccable and taking into account the time in which this short film was made, it is the best they could offer back then. The way the film starts already gives a sense of intrigue. The direction and the atmosphere are well captured despite the fact that a large budget was not used. The photography filter that has been used helps a lot with the setting and the sound of the rainy storm is also a good contribution to the tension that the film generates. It has a claustrophobic atmosphere that works in a subtle way due to the expressionist aesthetic used. The original music that was composed is very good, it manages to accompany the tension of the film and becomes memorable. The story is something that feels inspired by The Twilight Zone, but it is quite original. What the short film intends to address are themes such as alienation and media manipulation. Ceballos is a man who lives locked in his apartment and only maintains contact with the outside world through television. But all of that is altered to the point that Ceballos does not know what is happening. The idea would be that someone who only relies on what he sees on television can fall prey to a false truth that leaves him falling into the enigma of not knowing what is real and what is not. The ending has a very good twist that plays quite a bit with that. It leaves the doubt of what was real and what was not in the film. It is a quite enigmatic and ingenious ending. There is no doubt that this is a short film that was made with quite a bit of creativity. El Televidente is a great suspense short film ideal for watching on a stormy night. My final rating for this short film is 10/10.