One night, outside a remote army outpost, the soldiers sit down across a fire for a quick dinner. They complain about the food at the camp and decide to bend the rules a little when they bring out a bottle of rice whisky. The sentry on duty too joins them for a quick drink. As the party continues, with more wine and conversation, an intruder sneaks into the post and gets his hands on some munition. How does this quiet little dinner end for the group?
‘Security’ is a short film by director Ratchata sathongtean. Sathongtean tells the simple tale of the events outside a military outpost one night. Using basic camera movements and a clever selection of shots, he recreates a believable ‘silent night’ outside the camp. The generous use of long shots keeps the audience at an arm’s length from the happenings at the camp, creating a voyeuristic feeling, of watching the happenings from a distance, unnoticed. The effective use of night sounds works effectively to complete the scene of an uneventful evening. The ‘behind-the-scenes’ action that is seamlessly integrated into the ending is a pleasant shade that draws a smile at the end of a grim film.
‘Security’ opens our eyes to how much can go wrong if there is but a minor lapse in security. It shows how an everyday safe situation can become dangerous in the blink of an eye once you let your guard down. The very weapons you guard from your enemy can be used against you leaving you defenceless after a sudden turn of events.
