Watching: Elisai

Overview

Juxtaposing the east and west, Elisai is a south Indian story set in London. A dysphoric teenager, Elisai and her idealist mother, Amalie grieve the loss of Elisai’s grandfather. While Elisai suppresses her grief through isolation, Amalie focuses on getting through to her daughter. Despite Amalie’s implicit expressions of care, Elisai’s deteriorating state of mind dissects the importance of compassion. Shot in black and white, there are flavours of the past, present and future traversing throughout the film.