There has always been a fascination with the mystique, and because of this, many people started conducting their life based on those so called theories. Some of them were mocked for doing this, but in many cases there were results that made people believe in the power of a supernatural force. In ‘Arcanum’ one such practice is presented in a unique way, making this short one of the first regarding a theme like this one to be competing in our festival.

It is hard to sum up the whole plot of ‘Arcanum’ because, even if it is a short movie, it has quite a complex narrative. To watch this short means to follow a labyrinth of occult practices that are not everybody’s cup of tea. For us it was intense, and if you are not careful enough, you may risk missing one or two little details, and the whole web will start to unwind.

We were impressed by the use of shadows and darkness as primary elements of creating the plot. Darkness prevails in ‘Arcanum’, and being able to understand its importance is crucial. Andreas Berger used his skills to make darkness an important character in this short, and used it in all its forms to obtain all the effects that one could get. First of all, it was used a visual medium to set the mood and to let the viewer know what they are up to. Then, darkness was used at a “meta” level, being the main character in the tarot game that unveiled a new dimension of the esoteric realm. By all means, darkness gets the credit for being the main character both on the screen and beyond the power of understanding.

Andreas Berger definitely knows his audience and managed to deliver through ‘Arcanum’ a deep insight into a deep dark forest that most of us avoid to explore, even with our minds.    

Written by Vlad A. G