April 10, 2025 at 11:30:00 PM
AFS Cinema
Online May 2 - 4
Lost.
USA | Short
2024 | 9 mins | N/A
Hyperreal Film Club Official Selection,
Reale Film Festival - Best Super Short,
Tamizhagam International Film Festival - Best Actor
Life Lost is not the same as Life Taken.
Lost is a story that explores the themes of loneliness, inner battles, and helplessness. The protagonist has no “name” in the film and is seen going through a series of emotions that feel both rushed and deliberate, each serving a purpose within the narrative.
In the opening two minutes, the film symbolizes the struggle and mental turmoil that one experiences in intense situations at a thought level, particularly when grappling with the desire to escape from the reality.
As the story progresses, the character becomes both expressive and reactive, engaging in a series of mundane activities that seem to provide some comfort to him. A timer, counting down an hour, heightens the tension as the character grows increasingly anxious as time passes. The film ends with a moment of revelation, where the character's journey becomes clear, tying together the events shown and offering clarity to the emotions and experiences portrayed.
Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation
Film Heritage Foundation used the best surviving elements for the restoration – the original camera negative and the 35 mm print preserved at the NFDC – NFAI. Unfortunately, the sound negative was not available. We digitized the sound from the 35 mm print preserved at Film Heritage Foundation. The film elements were repaired by the Film Heritage Foundation conservators and the scanning was done in Prasad Lab in Chennai We found that due to the deterioration of the print, there were vertical green lines on many parts of the film. While the scanning and digital clean-up was done at Prasad under the supervision of L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, the grading, sound restoration and mastering was done at the lab in Bologna. Both Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani, the cinematographer of the film, have been involved in the restoration of the film.
Restoration Process
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Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation
About the Artist
Photo courtesy:
Film Heritage Foundation
Rohit Battepati is a self-taught filmmaker whose passion for storytelling developed from his exposure to a diverse array of films. With a deep appreciation for various genres, he aspires to create genre-driven cinema that resonates with audiences.
Born in India, Rohit was profoundly influenced by South Indian films during his childhood, an experience that later fueled his curiosity to explore world cinema after relocating to the United States in 2015.
Rohit gained valuable experience as an assistant director on the anthology web series Maranam, a project entirely filmed in Texas. He took a significant step forward in his career by directing his debut short film, Lost. , showcasing his emerging talent. Passionate about pushing creative boundaries, Rohit is eager to make films that span a wide range of genres and explore a spectrum of emotions on screen, solidifying his commitment to versatile and impactful storytelling.
Photo courtesy: Film Heritage Foundation
Trailer
Credits
Raviteja Cherughattu
Restoration Effort Led By: Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director, Film Heritage Foundation
Restoration Credit:
Restored by Film Heritage Foundation in association with Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(Amul), the cinematographer Govind Nihalani and the director Shyam Benegal. Funding supported by Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(Amul)
Thank you to our community partners for this screening!
