In Lies We Trust Review: An animation film of stunning power
New Delhi:
A bravura illustration built around a range of quirky ideas and characterized by dazzling visual flair and precision, Shirkwa – We believe in lies An animation film of astonishing power. It is as powerful as the cinema, as relevant as the commentary.
The 103-minute film combines 3D mo-cap and 2D techniques to achieve a magical meld of dystopian noir elements, sci-fi fantasy and urgent contemporary concerns. Impeccably made, the compelling film is punky, pulpy and profane. It is profound, political and philosophical at the same time.
Based on his award-winning 2016 short fiction, the film is written, designed and directed by debutant Ishaan Shukla. ShirkoaBalances conflicting emotions without missing a beat.
Shirkwa – We believe in lieswhich had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2024 on Sunday, represents a big step for Indian animation.
Freed from the excesses and limitations of Bollywood idioms and mythological epic devices, it stylishly evokes many provocative ideas – the limitations of resistance as the fuel of art, the irrelevance of rebels in a perfect world, sexuality as an antidote to sexual thoughts. Death, fear-mongering as a tool of oppression and more – and sprinkles them all into an overarching story of an oppressed man’s quest for redemption.
Remarkably inventive and expansive with its color palette, its filming techniques and its characters, Shirkwa – We believe in lies It is not up to a cocky male hero to fight for the weak. The hero is haunted by serious doubts as he searches for a way out of a world that deprives him of freedom of thought and action. He strikes under circumstances and rarely of his own volition.
The film scaled a creative high that no Indian animated feature had come within this distance. It opens a door and enters a domain where art, imagination and innovation combine to perfection and offer a highly entertaining ride.
The main voice cast – Golshifteh Farahani, Asia Argento, Soko, King Khan, John Sutton and Denzil Smith – is to die for. It is supported by guest stars Love Diaz, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Shekhar Kapoor, Piyush Mishra and Gaspar No.
Sneha Khanwalkar’s standout background score captures the ever-changing mood of a film that ranges from brooding and melancholic to riotous and rebellious.
The soundtrack is peppered with upbeat upbeat songs, some composed and performed by Khanwalkar (who also lends his voice to a third character) and others contributed by King Khan and his band.
At one level, Shirkwa – We believe in lies Explores the loss of unquestioning belief in false gods and the hysterical conformity it demands. It investigates the nature of tyranny and the brutal application of counterinsurgency and repressive laws.
The film unfolds in a society trapped in a system that fears diversity. Citizens are required by law to wear paper bags over their heads to erase their differences. “To be one is the way of life,” is an axiom that is repeatedly drilled into them.
The protagonist, 197A (Shahbaz Sarwar and Tibu Fortes, two debutants in the film) – no name residents of Shirkoa town – is a new council member in love with 242B (Farhani), who has a daring plan. He hopes to escape the nightmare. She begs her boyfriend to join her.
The male protagonist, irrepressible and tentative, decides to stay and co-opt. The decision sets off a chain of events that transports him to another realm and sharpens his awareness of the possibilities that lie beside him.
Outside the overly regulated society that 197A and its people live in moves to the center of the action when Shirkoa, behind its protagonist, travels to a new reality. As the background changes, so do the film’s music, tone and texture, as well as the protagonist’s appearance and voice.
The government fears dangerous migrants camping at the border. A myth is spread of the city of evil refugees to keep Shirkons in check. Repeated proclamations (voiced by Karan Johar) remind of the need to adhere to Shirkoa’s “golden triad – security, prudence and sanctity” for the well-being of the country.
242B The inside of a bus on its way out of Shirkoa is a colorful and chaotic world surrounded by oddballs and rebels, a stark contrast to the dull colors of Shirkoa sporting jolts. One of the bus passengers is an astrologer (Piyush Mishra) who predicts flowers in Hindi verse.
The town of Konthaka, where a mermaid named Lies (Asia Argento) runs a show and a wacky impresario, Mord (King Khan), gathers performers for a musical competition, is no less deranged.
Not that the Shirkwans – forever presented as a nebulous entity in aimless movement – are completely ignorant of what lies beyond their city limits and what lies are being told to keep them in line.
Excited students demonstrate, street protests break out, a mysterious girl (Soko) roams the shadows, and the city’s security forces are at work with their guns and batons.
Rumors of a mythical land inhabited freely by a people known as the Anomalies are promoted by the ruling clique for political gain, but as the whispering campaign reaches its peak, the tide turns and talks fill the air. rebellion
The entertaining, playful allegory about power, the suppression of dissent and the people’s desire for personal freedom pulsates with energy. The film transports the audience to a fantastical universe where burning issues require urgent attention and fuel passionate discontent.
Shirkwa – We believe in lies Its strength draws primarily from a storyline that surprises many in terms of its technology and its uses. It is shot in a video game engine which enables it to achieve depth of vision, solidity of structure and steady control over design elements. Shukla’s command over the medium is remarkable. Add to that the fertile imagination that pervades the film and you have a work of pure, wonderful cinematic spunk.
