Essenza Del Reale Review

Essenza Del Reale is a 2021 experimental short film directed by Giada Grieco.

Essenza Del Reale translates directly to essence of reality which I think encapsulates this experimental short film perfectly. It is the essence of the world we inhabit right now, the maddening reflection of the performing artists trapped by the confines of what a pandemic stricken world has brought about.

From the onset of the film, we are not given time to even collect ourselves. Frenetic jagged editing makes sure we never find a level of comfort, or one wherein we can relax to breathe. Grieco only gives us small claustrophobic snippets of herself as well as the apartment she resides in. We are expected to infer the rest from these flashes, and it creates a visually striking effect throughout.

The music by Plhum (Lucio Leonardi) gives us a sense of dread throughout, with only small hints of an optimistic piano to carry us through.

The joining of the music and dance really elevate the feeling of internal struggle. Every action seems to have a hesitation that is interrupted by elaborate choreographed dancing. From just getting out of bed, to getting dressed, to leaving, it is all cut in by the soul of the artist daring to come out. This innate need to perform just splitting at the seams.

As I said before it makes for a beautiful analogy for the times we are in now and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the short film. The stark black and white imagery again compounding that bleak feeling of hopelessness in a time where positivity seems so far gone. Grieco is obviously a talented dancer/performer and she very clearly has a strong visual sense that is beautifully on display here as well.

To follow on social media: Giada Grieco Instagram, Pluhm Instagram, Pluhm Website, Giada Grieco YouTube, and Der Suchende Dance Project.

Cheers!

Daniel Hess

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