"Witness" Short Film Review

Witness (Short Film)

Rating: 3.5/5

By: Nathaniel Simpson

    It is no secret that there are taboo topics in different religions. Looking across all different religions around the world, it seems like the discussion of being part of the LGBTQ+ community is heavily looked down upon, forcing many people who practice certain religions to hide their true selves. This is the basis for Radha Mehta and Saif Jaan's short film, Witness. While I think the movie does a great job on touching on a plot that involves a transgender male trying to hide his identity in a masjid he feels the most comfortable and spiritual in, I genuinely just wished for a little more plot than what we got here. Everything they were able to do is executed quite well, but they would have benefited from more tight writing or a longer runtime. 

    The film begs the question of how a small-town imam would face a crisis of his faith when he is confronted with the truth that a local youth imam is exposed as being transgender, a secret he was forced to hide due to the religion he is in. I think this is a great plot to go forward with as it happens around the world all the time. It's unfortunate that people have to hide their true selves just to coincide with the guidelines of their religion, and that is what is portrayed here in the character of Shams (Shaan Dasani). From what we see in the short film, I think the filmmakers do a good job of showing how it can not only affect the person being outcasted by the place of worship, but also affect those in power at the mosque. Imam Mustafa (Faran Tahir) must now come face-to-face with the practices in his religion and what he thinks is right. 

    This is such a good plot that I don't think is fully explored in the constraints of the runtime. I think the filmmakers did a good job with crafting this heavy topic in a short film and what they were able to do in such a quick runtime, but I think this film could have benefited greatly from having more of a plot. I wanted them to explore the character of Shams and the relationship he has with Mustafa because I feel like we only get a brief glimpse here, which hinders the emotional reaction of the audience to the characters and the story. 

    However, in terms of filmmaking, I think this movie is crafted very well. The cinematography, the set design, the acting from the cast here, it's all done expertly well. The filmmakers are able to capture such emotion from the cast, and they really bring you into the story and this small church community they have crafted for this movie. I think the performances from Dasani and Tahir are fantastic, which Dasani giving a more down-to-earth performance as this character who is facing backlash over something the community believes is wrong. Tahir, on the other hand, portrays the character of Mustafa by showing how he desperately wants to keep Shams in the community, but is blinded by the ways of his religion. 

    I think this short film is a great depiction of something that happens to thousands of people around the world who are apart of their church, but I wish they were able to tell more of the story. Whether they need to tighten the screenplay or have more time to tell the story, I think it could benefit with more story and character development. But, as a whole, I think this is a pretty good short film that tells a story that needs to be told.