Free Will

Staged in a forest and featuring a greatly stylized aesthetic, Free Will is a short film that portrays a strong internal conflict: a character struggles to take a path different from the one set by his own internal mandates or conscience, which are depicted in the form of an external object.

The metaphorical staging places an emphasis on the use of light, which is employed to establish the relationship between the main character and the mask, symbolize the path being indicated to the character, his situation of being constantly watched and the temptation to détour from this road (in the form of the will-o’-the-wisps floating lights). There’s also good effort dedicated to animation, postures, and expressiveness of the main character, which help transmit the unfolding conflict.

The great attention dedicated to aesthetics, color, light and contrasts make Free Will a pleasure to watch. Its strong message bears a wide appeal (following mandates vs. wanting to break away from them). All this combined with a highly metaphorical representation make for a very interesting short that calls for repeated views.