The sound of charcoal on paper is absolutely mesmerizing, and Zuhair Mehrali made a whole artistic experiment based on natural sounds, and the simplicity of nature in ‘Sketches’. From the very beginning the viewer is welcomed with the soft and touchy sound of charcoal drawing on paper, combined with some political annoying speech… the result? The music of the gods that roam around us. And that’s not the only inspiring thing about this short.

 

We’ve seen plenty of experimental films over the past couple of years and most of them were dealing with extremely intricate matters or sometimes normal themes seen through the lens of overcomplicated social matters. But in ‘Sketches’ we’ve found the sound of nature, the simplicity of life, the music of our ancestors, all packed in a 35-minute fully-sensorial experience. The song of the birds, the music of the running water, the visual imagery of packed heaven on earth we don’t know how to achieve on our own powers... all of them are beautifully presented by Zuhair Mehrali.

 

What is really interesting in this film, however, is the power of colors that are naturally represented, colors that sometimes most of us are too busy to see. The director's view upon nature is really visceral and direct, delivering some amazingly colored shots that are meant to trigger the deepest emotions. The yellow-brown shades are everywhere and they usually symbolize the end of something, or the very beginning – the fall, or the early autumn. The man going from place to place, sketching one thing or another can be seen as the universal ruler of things admiring the way nature has evolved on itself. ‘Sketches’ has a huge symbolic background, and we bet each and every viewer will find at least two or three ways to interpret it. Zuhair Mehrali thought it through and made it so simple and natural in a way that it will trigger the most complex and pleasing emotions inside the viewers, making them find the path they were (or still are) unconsciously looking for.  

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Written by Vlad A. G