Title: Impasse (2008)
Director: Bram Schouw
Genre(s): Short
Duration: 8mins
Cast: Sieger Sloot, Mutaleni Nadimi
A neo-Nazi skinhead becomes intrigued by an African woman he encounters on a train ride, but his white supremacist beliefs leave him conflicted.
This film is about close-mindedness and how the wrong belief system can prevent you from establishing meaningful connections with other people.
In Impasse, the skinhead experiences a brief moment of cognitive dissonance as he tries to come to terms with the fact that he may be attracted to a non-white person – a person he was taught to hate.
During the train ride, it appears as though he wants to speak to the woman but instead, he holds back and refrains from speaking until she gets off at the next stop.
Although the film does not contain dialogue, the acting, non-verbal cues and symbolism tell the story perfectly.
For instance, in the beginning, when the man is waiting for the train, he stands in between a pair of closed eyes painted on the wall behind him, which can symbolise ignorance; living a life unable to see the beauty of people from a difference race or culture.
Impasse, as the title says, refers to a situation in which no progress is possible usually due to a disagreement, and sure enough the relationship does not develop due to conflicting beliefs.
This film contains valuable lessons about unlearning the wrong teaching and I highly recommend for people to watch.