Bereft

Bereft is a 55-second narrative short exploring grief and loss through visual storytelling. The film follows a man mourning his wife after she passes during childbirth, haunted by the sound of a crying baby. Shot in 4:3 aspect ratio with a fish-eye lens effect and film grain, the aesthetic choices create an intimate, claustrophobic atmosphere that mirrors the character's mental state.


The story unfolds through careful cinematography and minimal movement within a sparse apartment setting. The narrative builds to a revealing moment – when the camera shifts to show an empty cradle, making clear that the crying baby exists only in his grief. The project demonstrates how visual language, framing, and sound design can convey complex emotional narratives without relying on dialogue or extensive animation.