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Exit

Essentially a student project, Exit is a professionally made film by all definitions and interpretations of the term. Under academic supervision, the substantially large crew and cast gathered together their best skills, talents, and artisanship to produce a must-watch film that deserves praise and recognition.

The short film opens with a loud and vibrantly colorful scene, following a group of friends on a night out. The opening sequence is actually the prologue by dramaturgical definitions; it comes before the title, and it serves as the establishing scene for the plot about to begin in the subsequent scene. As an absolute contrast, the following location is quiet, enigmatic, and it happens in an ambiguous setting. Louise, the young woman and the story's protagonist who wakes up in a basement with no apparent way out, struggles to remember the events that led her there. The only memories that come to mind are actually fragments of the night off – faces, friends or strangers, a 'tasty' proposal – in other words, ill-advised youth at its essence.

Now comes the anxiety and hopelessness, which is perfectly captured by the artistic crew. The cinematography, production design, directing, and sound engineering (which has Foley sound as its signature feature) contribute to the unprecedented experience. We, as the audience, root for the heroine to get out of the basement alive. The protagonist’s performance, brought to light by Sarah Buchholzer, proves that we witness a star in the making. Buchholzer’s performance exploits the character's traits and the overwhelming mixture of feelings. Each body language expression, decision, movement, or verbal confrontation is fascinatingly portrayed.

Besides the execution, it’s worth mentioning the screenplay as the fundamental technical document that sort of defines a good film. Exit is primarily in the visual than in the told – it's the subtext that we should pay close attention to and the backstory that began long before the film's starting point. Everyone who's been a careless young adult at one point has found themselves in Louise's position. A liberated mind wouldn't judge her for her actions and decisions. The morning is always wiser than the night, and the heroine realizes that when she leaves the basement and faces another day holding her head firmly amid the city that's slowly waking up. The difference is that Louise is now changed – she is not the same woman that entered the club the night before, which is a part of her coming of age.

The complex plot is executed in less than ten minutes, which really makes us wonder what advantages the short format of expression offers if talented filmmakers decide to try their exceptional qualities and talent as early during their academic studies. With that being concluded, it’s inevitable to expect great films from these excellently prepared filmmakers, who would enrich the world cinema.