Ayan Pratap wrote (with Jim Suthers providing the screenplay) and directed this quiet little film about following your passion. Though it is not a polished gem it carries a sensitivity that many young artists at the inception of their career and life in the arts will find poignant. There is an honesty about the film and the way it is presented that indicates that Ayan Pratap is a talent to watch. Before getting into the story it is important that the audience understands the concept of Kundalini – the subject of the mural whose endurance plays such a major role in the film. Kundalini stems from yogic philosophy as a form of shakti or "corporeal energy". Kundalini is described within Eastern religious, or spiritual tradition as an indwelling spiritual energy that can be awakened in order to purify the subtle system and ultimately to bestow the state of Yoga, or Divine Union upon the 'seeker' of truth " The Yoga Upanishads describe Kundalini as lying "coiled" at the base of the spine, represented as either a goddess or sleeping serpent waiting to be awakened. In modern commentaries, Kundalini has been called an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force.
The plot is best summarized in the writer/director's words: 'Unfulfilled in her work at the local diner, Alex Carlson (Aleece Jones, in a notable debut) feels like a tiger trapped in a cage. Her dream of leaving the town and pursuing an art career seems to be fading away. The only source of any artistic inspiration is an unfinished Kundalini mural painted on the side of a plastic bag factory by a local artist in 1970s. Alex's dream is further threatened by the impending closure of the plastic bag factory on which the mural is painted. A sliver of hope emerges when prodigal son Chuck Crowley (Christopher Ivins), the world famous photographer, returns to Cooper Flats. Chuck fascinates Alex and introduces her to Tratak meditation technique he learned in India. Alex must embrace what's to come next and choose whether to finish her journey she left half way or not, while the world around her starts to fall apart. When Chuck asks Alex what she intends to do after she leaves Cooper Flats, she is encouraged to follow her passion – a lesson from her empathy with the Kundalini image.
The cast may be uneven and the cinematography not always favoring the progress of the story telling, but Pratap has captured a moment in time so precious to those who commit to the arts – a decision whether to work for art or settle for less. Grady Harp, August 14
