Swapna Halder's second film changes the language of the show by entering black and white. Without the amber and blue palette of the other chapters, light becomes structure and the smallest shift in her profile becomes more visible.
Monochrome also gives the moving portrait an archival feeling, as if the chamber were remembering her rather than recording her in the present.
The power of a profile
A profile can feel guarded, sculptural or deeply revealing depending on the distance of the camera. Here, close framing turns the line of the eye, cheek and lips into an emotional landscape.
The sequence is directed with restraint. Swapna does not need to fill the frame with movement; the frame changes around the stillness she brings to it.
When colour becomes unnecessary
The choice of black and white was not made to imitate the past. It was made because this chapter already had enough colour inside its expression.