COMITIUM by Joel Bernoth, Fida Chowdhury, Gabby Li

Whilst on a bike riding trip, a young man encounters a group of masked people, draped in robes doing what he can only assume is some sort of ritual. He approaches, and when one of the figures hands him a small note, we cut to him; awake cold sweating in the middle of the night. Sure he had a bad dream, the man tries to go back to sleep, but finds the note laying next to him, leaving him to question whether his dream was reality.

Working on ‘COMITIUM’ was an enriching process that involved meticulous planning and creative collaboration. We began with scriptwriting, ensuring our narrative captured the surreal and ambiguous nature of our protagonist’s experience. Drawing from the open, arid landscapes and the slow pacing of ‘Taste of Cherry,’ we created to emphasis the dream-like state in our film. Filming on location required careful coordination to achieve the desired atmospheric quality, and our use of tableau shots helped convey the eerie stillness and mystery of the ritual scene. Through this project, we gained valuable experience in visual storytelling and the importance of detailed work. The process also deepened our understanding of how to use cinematography to evoke specific emotions and themes, significantly enhancing our skills and appreciation for the art of filmmaking.