Experiencing Interruptions?

FLES

FLES is SELF spelled backwards. It is an experimental short about mindfulness and mental health. It was shot in Lagos, Nigeria.

LOGLINE
A young man; JOLA is having a chat with his friend; BB at a restaurant but he is distracted and isn't paying attention to their conversation. The film goes on to visualize Jola's chaotic state of mind and how he uses mindfulness to regain focus and return to their conversation.

Mindfulness is the ability to sit with and observe your thoughts. Being mindful improves focus and mental health.

SYNOPSIS
In the film, a young college student; Jola is having lunch at a local restaurant when his friend; BB sights him and stops for a chat. BB is rambling about how a couple of their college mates have been provoking her, but Jola’s isn’t paying attention.

The next scene illustrates what is going on in Jola’s mind. Jola finds himself on a noisy road. The chaos and the noise represent his distracting thoughts. As the noise intensifies, Jola is trying to escape until he reaches a point where he meets two versions of himself.

These two versions of himself also represent the distracting thoughts in his mind. Jola is trying to silence the thoughts until he slowly backs away, looks up, and observes the two versions of himself. As he observes them, he becomes calmer, takes a deep breath, and is able to return to the conversation with his friend at the restaurant.

Jola was able to practice mindfulness, which helped him sit with his thoughts and be more present.

  • Lochi Kalu
    Director
  • Lochi Kalu
    Writer
  • Morta Viva Productions
    Producer
  • Promise Agbor
    Key Cast
    "Jola"
  • Olamide Otunbade
    Key Cast
    "BB"
  • Bill Cee
    Cinematographer
  • Lochi Kalu
    Music Score
  • Samuel Ugokar
    Production Assistant
  • Handmaiden B Styling
    Styling
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    drama, fantasy, experimental
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 32 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 25, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Nigeria
  • Country of Filming:
    Nigeria
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Mindful Pictures Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    United Kingdom Premiere
    Official Selection
  • LH Indie Film Festival
    Le Havre
    France
    May 31, 2023
    Official Selection
  • T.I.F.A. - Tietê International Film Awards
    São Paulo
    Brazil
    July 20, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Reel Black Men short film showcase
    Los Angeles
    United States
    September 22, 2023
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Lochi Kalu

Lochi is a filmmaker from Lagos, Nigeria. He started his career directing music videos, with his 2020 music video "Corner'' being regarded as one of the most impactful music videos in Africa for its strong themes of women empowerment, inclusivity and justice for victims of sexual abuse.
His first film; FLES is an experimental short about mindfulness and is slated for a 2023 release.

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Director Statement

In today's world, mental health is well talked about, but there aren't many stories that shine the light on the tools that can help maintain better mental health and a focused mind. Mindfulness is one of those tools. Mindfulness is the awareness of one's thoughts and feelings without judgment. When a person is able to sit with and observe their thoughts, such person tends to be calmer, more focused and is able to make better decisions.

Our film FLES is a brief attempt to visualize the impact of mindfulness on the human mind within a fictional context. The intent was to experiment with drama, sound, limited dialogue, Nigerian culture and minimalism.

In the film, the lead character is not able to focus on a discussion he is having with his friend. The film visualizes his mind state- a busy mind with multiple racing thoughts.

At the climax of the film, he is able to stand still, observe his thoughts and breathe which in turn allows him to be present and return to the conversation with his friend.