RVA’s International Short Film Contest Awards: “Untitled” Invites us to Step Outside and Look Up
Untitled is more like a question quietly placed before the viewer. A question many of us avoid because it unsettles our carefully managed routines: Is my life meant to run on repeat, or am I willing to let God write its script?
The film mirrors the monotony of modern life, screens glowing endlessly, days blurring into each other, nature passing by unnoticed. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis warns us that we risk becoming “more conscious of what we are missing than of what we have,” trapped in a culture of distraction that dulls our sense of wonder. Untitled translates this warning into images rather than words. Silence, darkness, and a sudden power cut become moments of grace, unexpected pauses where discernment begins.
What struck me most is the title itself, or the lack of one. Untitled becomes a theological statement. As Pope Francis reminds us, discernment is not about rigid control but about “recognizing how and where the Spirit of the Lord is at work in our lives.” The film gently asks: Do I insist on naming, scripting, and controlling everything, or can I trust God enough to let Him give my life its true title?
The story follows Nori, a teenager caught in a numbing cycle of school, screens, and disconnection from the world around her. A simple disruption, a power outage, awakens her senses. Nature, relationships, and small acts of care slowly reclaim their place. What begins as routine ends as rediscovery.
Behind this quiet strength is a remarkably intimate production team. Directed by Tasha Leigh L. Julag-ay, who also serves as producer, editor, sound designer, and lead actor, alongside co-director and cinematographer Nemiah Taira A. Rabo, the film carries a handcrafted sincerity. Its minimalism is its power.
Untitled doesn’t scream out ecological concern; it quietly tells about conversion. And that voice stays with you long after the screen goes dark, inviting you to step outside, look up, and perhaps let God finish the story you’ve been trying to write alone.
