In a world dominated by “pragmatic” ambitions, an axe is more important than a Mozart symphony, a philosopher once said. But we know that a person’s destiny is more than a continuous pursuit of ambitions imposed by the environment. Cristina Pagani revisits this idea in a tender and incisive short film, illustrating how the quality of human relationships is compromised by society’s standards. ‘The Awakening‘ is certainly a film that most viewers will relate to for the simple reason that the fragment of reality depicted by the director is omnipresent in our lives, regardless of age, gender, or passions. Indeed, the moralizing stakes targeted by this concept are extremely “in your face”, but at the same time, it is difficult to combat a state of affairs so deeply rooted in our present without such an attitude. Thus, the short film is an exercise in introspection that questions our certainties in the face of others’ expectations, as well as how social pressures can alter the honesty of affectionate relationships within a family.
How necessary or risky would it be to follow our dreams, especially in a society where pragmatism makes us give up our artistic ambitions? A man relives the defining moments of his past, when others’ need to conform to society’s standards reshaped his fate. Now, he faces a haunting question: will he make the same mistake with his own daughter?
The film explores a compromise that endures like a generational curse, one the director seeks to break by confronting the character with himself in a realm beyond life and death. The almost dreamlike convention adopted by Cristina Pagani has the evanescence and strength necessary to compress the characters’ internal antagonistic tensions. “At the same time, the chromatic contrasts and spatial transitions that mirror this inner turmoil, where fragments of the past resurface in a state of urgency, lend a distinct identity to a short film crafted with professional precision. The message conveyed by the entire concept may seem lacking in subtlety, but beyond the script, which could have taken the psychological nuances of these sensitive family relationships to another level, ‘The Awakening’ certifies the quality of a welcoming artistic endeavour.
