Vanitas

Vanitas is a son＇s belated eulogy to his long-dead Anglo-Indian father whose modest aspirations were crushed by bad luck, ill-health and racism. The film explores the often-combative and testy relationship between these two immigrants through animation, music and spoken-word narration. The work resonates with Lauren Berlant＇s concept of ＇cruel optimism＇ - that is, the investment in dreams and life goals that generate anxiety, dissatisfaction and despair. On a deeper level, it explores how a singular life is shaped by historical, political and social currents that are not always apprehended in the turbulent flow of daily existence.