JUNE 17, 2025
‘Cyclamen’ is a fully sensorial short film that has the flavor of a perfect poem, and the narrative silence of a horror story. This short stands out not because of its ambiguous dialogue, philosophical situations, or extremely intriguing narrative bits, but for of its power of simplicity that is used impeccably, something that is rare today.
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‘Cyclamen’ presents the story of a man built from the interaction of the external world and the inner world, where pain prevails. The result is, undoubtedly, spectacular! Davide Canali insists on long shots that transcend the normal routine, becoming statements of life and death. At any point, you may feel like the world would collapse under the weight of pain this life is capable of “offering”. On top on that, being filmed in black and white, it adds a new dimension of sadness and pressure.
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At first, it may seem depressing and extremely uneven in terms of feelings, but towards the end, the story gets perspective and the narrative becomes more than uplifting. The last shot, when the woman smiles is the best thing you are going to see that day. Her smile is so pure and sincere, and her grimaces are worth a thousand words.
This whole short is a quest for happiness, a quest for love that is nowhere to be found. We all felt like this at some point in our lives – no one there for us, only some ghosts of the past, a past that is waving in the rearview mirror. ‘Cyclamen’ is the visual representation of the end of a dark period in anybody’s life, showing that the sun will rise again at some point.
​Davide Canali’s poem of life and death is heartwarming for the ones that know how to read it; a visual poem that is worth a million words.
Review written by Vlad A. G.