Review of the short film "The other" by Katayoon Fathali

The other short film has a new interpretation of the effect of the role on the actor. All over the world, Stanislavsky's acting method in theater and cinema is approved by many artists and they use his acting method in their roles. A method in which the actor manages to live in his role and become a person with the same moods and spirits as the role. Sometimes it is possible that actors are involved in a role for several months after playing it and cannot separate themselves from the role.

Now, what happens if a theater actor immersed into his role, but the performance of that role is not completed and the character is not allowed to appear on the stage, and that role remains within the actor? This issue is more serious in countries whose art is under the rule of governments. In Iran, hundreds of students and professional theaters are rehearsed every year, but in the end they fail to reach the public performance, because the ruling government did not like all or part of the performance in the review stage before the performance, or the performance was stopped or censored. If we ignore all the time, money and energy spent on theater production, what about the character that has come to life inside the actor’s body and become an independent personality? If he does not show himself on the stage, what emotional and psychological impact will he leave on the actor.

The other short film deals with the same issue. The actress, who plays the role of Electra (a play by Sophocles), could not perform it due to the suspension. Now that her next performance has been censored, she prefers to perform Elektra face-to-face in the city's central theater on the street. The use of the character of Elektra, a rebel woman who seeks justice, has created an interesting connection with the script and the character of the actress in the film.

On the other hand, the acting of the main role and showing the performance exercises in the film are well done and the professional form and body movements of the performers during the training, as well as the monologue performed from the play Elektra, have a great impact on the audience.

The other, or the same character, lives more than before and continues her way (which is the performance) without paying attention to the censorship and seizure by the government.

Good cinematography is also one of the good points of the film, which has helped convey the emotions of the actor (character) to the audience.

Mahsa Alinaghian