Fugue

When a young man awakens in an unfamiliar room across from a version of himself, he’s forced to confront something he isn’t ready to face.

'Fugue' is an experimental psychological short about control, collapse, and the unsettling process of facing the parts of ourselves we work hardest to avoid.

  • Neha Lalani
    Director
  • Neha Lalani
    Writer
  • Neha Lalani
    Producer
  • Markus Kranzler
    Key Cast
    "'Elliot' & 'Alter'"
  • Liam Briese
    Director of Photography
  • Brandon Aitken
    Gaffer
  • Jarrett Ramones
    Production Designer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Psychological Thriller
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 32 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 15, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    900 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - San Francisco State University (SFSU)
Director Biography - Neha Lalani

Neha Lalani is a Pakistani filmmaker and MFA candidate based in San Francisco. Her passion for storytelling began at age 11 after watching Spielberg’s 'The Adventures of Tintin' (2011), sparking a lifelong fascination with cinema and motion capture. Since then, she has developed a distinct poetic and emotionally immersive style, often blending surrealism with grounded character narratives.

In addition to filmmaking, Neha composes music, plays guitar and piano. 'Choti Choti Khushiyan' ('The Little Joys') is her latest award-winning short film, following the heartfelt tone of her earlier piece, 'Swan Song' (2021).

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

'Fugue' is a deeply personal exploration of internal conflict – what it feels like to spiral inward and be stuck in your own mind. I wanted to capture the emotional tension of dissociation, anxiety, and self-avoidance through a minimalist, surreal lens. The film takes place in a single room because that’s often where mental breakdowns happen: not in the world, but within ourselves.

As a director, I'm drawn to stories that visualize psychological states through restrained, symbolic visuals. In Fugue, objects like a Jenga tower, a cracked mirror, and a plain shoebox carry the emotional weight. The space is sterile, dreamlike, and controlled, until it isn’t. This film isn’t about offering closure; it’s about portraying the quiet terror of looking inward, and the resilience it takes to do it again.