Rarely there has been a movie with such a good dark and chilling atmosphere. Adrian Rodriguez managed to produce a movie that will keep you glued to your chair till the end of it. What is shocking in '43' is not the full male nudity, but the way some people are imposing their power on others, based on violent humiliation.

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The plot is very descriptive – “Julian and Marcos are part of the 43 students that gone missing in Ayotzinapa, Mexico. Gonzalez, leader of the Police threatens their lives. Would they be able to escape and save themselves before being murdered?” We must confess that it has been a long time since we’ve seen such a powerful short. '43' is a bright spot for all of the stars who worked on it. The acting is beautiful, the cinematography is neat and the edit is flawless. Basically, this short can be taken as a good example on how to make a shocking movie that will last.

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Adrian Rodriguez’s '43' is a very tight film. Elements within: dialogue, actions, lighting, setting, all of these tend to reinforce one another to paint a solid picture. And this is some picture!

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This movie is from start to finish a well produced and directed film whereas the performances are outstanding. We are glad to have been given the chance to present this short in our festival, and that is because it is more than just a short – this movie is based on real facts and we can see it more as a life experience rather than a fiction.

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Directed brilliantly and skilfully written by Adrian Rodriguez, '43' is well crafted and ingeniously clever, making it one of the finest films of this month so far. For Adrian Rodriguez’s '43', the sky is the limit!

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Written by Vlad A. G