In Defense of Civil Society Review
In Defense of Civil Society is a 2021 short film directed by Rafeh Mahmud, with writing by Rafeh Mahmud and Rouvan Silogix.
A darkly comedic take on the inner working of governmental entities in a hilariously named country, In Defense of Civil Society, provides seething commentary under layers of golden age Looney Tunes styling.
Where to even begin with the amount of social commentary on display in this short film. Written with a quick wit and amazing delivery this is a short film that will take longer to process through than it will to watch, and that is nothing but a compliment.
The effective strategy of bringing up topics of terrorist organizations built in the same structure as any other government agency is so cleverly implemented it feels on the same level as something from the mind of Mike Judge.
The comedy here is the kind that almost makes you feel bad for laughing at, but with so many points being sad to say very true in today’s world. Luckily the incredible writing understands that this may be a hurdle to some, so for the more hot button moments it knows exactly when to explain itself further.
This doesn’t mean that this is all dark comedy jokes, there is a ton of levity here as well, particularly in the final act. Knowing when to dial things back over to the serious side, we are given the perspective of a refugee with everything in order to emigrate but are pushed to fitting into a stereotype for the sake of convenience.
It is something that we are all guilty of, judging a book by its cover, and while it is easy to think that governing bodies committing such atrocities is a thing of the past, it is still all too common, simply taking on a different form in this modern world.
What you have with In Defense of Civil Society is an amazingly well produced short film. It is easy as seen here to get caught up in the wonderful writing but all elements of this film work so well. From the cinematography, shot selection, music, sound mixing, and acting there are loads of praise that can be given. This is nothing less than a crowning achievement for all those involved.
To follow on social media: Director Instagram, Co-Writer Instagram, and Theatre ARTaud Instagram.
Cheers!
Daniel Hess
Film Festival and Award Highlights:
Official Selection – Sarasota Film Festival
Semi Finalist – Dumbo Film Festival
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