Experiencing Interruptions?

Fractured Reflections

John, a man tormented by his past and grappling with profound guilt and identity struggles. Following a tragic accident that claimed the life of his young son, John spirals into a psychological battle, haunted by memories and the weight of his responsibility. As the boundaries between reality and his fractured mind blur, John embarks on a journey of self-confrontation, piecing together his reflections to uncover the truth about himself and the tragedy that changed his life forever.

  • Mohsin Zavi
    Director
  • Mohsin Zavi
    Writer
  • Mohsin Zavi
    Producer
  • Muhammad Rafiu
    Producer
  • Noor Mustafa
    Co-Producer
  • Akhtar Kanasro
    Executive Producer
  • Muhammad Rafiu
    Key Cast
    "John"
  • Akhtar Kanasro
    Key Cast
    "Doctor"
  • Yunis Baloch
    Key Cast
    "Dani"
  • Mohsin Zavi
    Cinematographer
  • Mohsin Zavi
    Editor
  • Mohsin Zavi
    Colorist
  • Mohsin Zavi
    Sound Designer
  • Sameer Baloch
    Productuion Assistant
  • Aaqiub Hussain
    Special Thanks
  • Sarwar Leghari
    Special Thanks
  • Safdar Ali Abro
    Special Thanks
  • Farhan Ali Khuhawar
    Special Thanks
  • Project Type:
    Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Psychological Thriller
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 5, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    15 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Pakistan
  • Country of Filming:
    Pakistan
  • Language:
    English, Urdu
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mohsin Zavi

Mohsin Zavi (born July 15, 2005) is a Pakistani independent filmmaker. He debuted with The Bag (2023), the first short film released under GlowSynth Films, a production company he founded. Originally launched as The Solid Filmmakers, the company was later rebranded as GlowSynth Films.
He followed this with several short films, including The Bag: Part Two (2023), The Joker (2023), Echoes of Choices (2024), and Fractured Reflections (2024). His latest short film, Raah (2025), continues this streak of ambitious indie projects, and his next short, Invalor, is currently in post-production. In mid-2025, he also directed and edited the music video “Soormi” for singer-songwriter Amjad Mirani, blending his cinematic style with musical storytelling.
On all of these projects, Zavi has maintained a hands-on approach—writing, directing, editing, and often serving as cinematographer—which gives his films a cohesive, tension-driven visual style. His work often explores moral and psychological complexity. He cites directors such as Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, David Fincher, and Paul Thomas Anderson as influences.
His films construct atmospheric, psychologically layered narratives that explore themes of guilt, identity, and survival through claustrophobic framing, fractured timelines, and morally ambiguous characters.

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Director Statement

Making this short film was an unforgettable journey—marked by creative problem-solving, unexpected setbacks, and countless late nights. At its core, the story follows John, a man haunted by guilt and the memory of losing his son. Behind the camera, however, the real achievement was crafting something meaningful with extremely limited resources.

How We Pulled It Off
With a budget of just 4000 PKR, we couldn’t rent professional lighting. I repurposed a streetlight bulb from home: a few wires, a switch, and suddenly we had our key light. When a power outage struck on the second day of shooting—and again on the third—Noor remembered he had an inverter. He and Rafiu pedaled to fetch it, and we powered our makeshift fixture from a battery to complete the shoot.

Shooting and Gear
We shot about half the film on a Canon 6D Mark II and the other half on an iPhone 14. That blend of DSLR and smartphone footage demanded ingenuity in framing and lighting, but it also gave the film an intimate, dynamic quality.

Language on Set
Most of the crew, including myself, spoke Sindhi. Yunis, who plays Dani, speaks Balochi, so his cousin Sameer served as translator. What could have been a barrier became a collaborative way to bridge cultures and build camaraderie.

Editing and VFX
Balancing a full-time job (11 AM to 9 PM), I edited from 10 PM to 3 AM over two months. I handled roughly 60 percent of the sound design—mixing on-set dialogue with effects I recorded or sourced online. For the mirror scenes, I shot clean plates and composited the reflection in CapCut Desktop to conceal the camera.

Music
The soundtrack combines tracks from Tunetank.com and Pixabay.com, with Mac DeMarco’s “Dreams from Yesterday” closing the credits.

Special thanks to Aaqiub Hussain, Sarwar Laghari, Safadr Ali Abro, Al-Mas Hospital Larkana, Naik Muhammad, and Farhan Ali Khuhawar for their invaluable support.

This project tested us at every turn, but every challenge fueled our determination. I hope you find the film as rewarding to watch as it was for us to create—your feedback is greatly appreciated.