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Screening Room:

Red

Mandala

Mandala is an experimental psychological short film exploring the fragile ego and never-ending loneliness of Braise, a young man trapped in a cyclical inner world. Desperate to be seen, he attempts to perform his deep-seated insecurities as comedy, but the audition turns into a surreal mirror where reality and delusion blur. Through striking static compositions and recurring dreamlike imagery, the film eschews traditional logic to trace the quiet unraveling of a mind caught between outward arrogance and inner vulnerability, sitting in the ache of things left unresolved

Statement

Mandala addresses social impact through the lens of mental health, emotional isolation, and the modern pressure of hyper-individualism. The film acts as a surreal psychological portrait of modern loneliness, exploring how young men often weaponize humor or arrogance to mask deep-seated fragility and fear of failure. By externalizing Braise’s internal struggle through a dreamlike, Lynchian landscape, the film challenges the societal pressure to always present a strong, successful facade ("the Sun") while suppressing vulnerability ("the Moon"). Mandala creates a vital space for dialogue around emotional honesty, suggesting that true harmony cannot be forced through performance, but only through confronting the cycles of what we leave unsaid.

Cast and Crew

Director / Writer / Producer: Charite Kayitsinga Executive Producer: East Africa University Rwanda Director of Photography: Gatambira Romeo Sound Recordist: Niyomugabo Kevin Lighting Technician: Irikumwenatwe Adolphe Editor / Colorist / Sound Designer: Charite Kayitsinga Cast: David Kabano as "Braise"

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