Drama was the order of the night on Friday, as the SunDeis Film Festival held its second round of screenings. Some coming from as far away as the Czech Republic, the evening's eight movies ranged from student art films to professional-grade productions, all connected by the themes of memory, loss and fighting inner demons. Some of the films had been circulating around campus for some time. Ben Harel's '12 Aiden Own was first shown during the winter by the Brandeis Student Film Collective. The student-made Annabelle Lee and Michael J. Gomes's Eulogy were shown at the IndieLouies festival only a few weeks ago, and Pinch Me was shown at the BTV spring premier night. But by no stretch of the imagination does that mean SunDeis was airing reruns. The other four movies were completely new to campus, and all of them, new or familiar, captured the themes of the night in moving, vastly different ways. Director Aaliyah Miller's After the Headlines was one of the new screenings, and it took on the theme of loss in a very direct way. Concerning a grieving mother as she tries to move on after her daughter's murder, the film's subject matter and acting made it one of the most raw, emotional features of the night. Unlike the other films, very little was expressed as metaphor. While other films here left the audience to interpret an event on their own or put the tragedy into a denunciation at the end, Headlines presents death to the audience straightaway, even going so far as to show the victim's body. It's this directness that gives the movie its impact. The audience is given the facts in such a way that it almost feels like intruding on something private, watching a woman's personal fight through grief to reach a feeling of peace with herself and what happened to create a tale of strength and resilience by the end.

Perhaps the only film more powerful than Headlines was A Conversation With My Mother, for the simple reason that unlike the other features, it was a documentary. A very simple production, it consisted of a short interview with the filmmaker's mother as she was being treated for brain cancer. As she talks about her diagnosis, treatment and outlook on her cancer, it becomes apparent just how much inner strength this woman has. As the camera lingers on X-rays of her tumor and the large scar on her head, it becomes amazing just how much she's overcome, an amazement intensified by how positive her outlook is. She doesn't seem bitter or angry at all; instead she sees it as part of herself, accepting it while working to overcome it. Though short, Conversation shows remarkable strength in the face of daunting problems.

The night's "48-Hour Film" submission, a movie made entirely within 48 hours, was Rude Awakening, the story of a woman who fears her nightmares might be coming true. While the story was admittedly a bit confusing, the time constraint was unnoticeable in every other aspect. The camera work was very well-done, capturing the bleary, blurred nature of the dreams perfectly. Another strong point was the writing. One of the problems with student films is that the dialogue can feel a bit stilted or forced, but there was none of that here. The dialogue seemed natural, and everything flowed pretty well, making this just as much a testament to the actors as to the writers. Plus, the fact that it was all made in 48 hours and adhered to a number of requirements shows just how talented of all those involved were.

A highlight of the night was the film from farthest away, specifically, Prague. That's where filmmaker Jacob Mandel made Zlata Rybka (The Goldfish), which traced the intertwining paths of an average man and a cat on the last of his nine lives brought together by a missing goldfish. Everything about this movie is incredible, from the crystal-clear, black-and-white cinematography; the moving soundtrack, the acting; and the offbeat, inspired story. This is an uplifting film that displays true style in its presentation and settings along with infinite care, with near flawless camera and sound work.

This is the first year SunDeis has faced competition, in the form of this month's IndieLouies festival. In order to stay relevant, it has to differentiate itself from its counterpart, and though there were some repeats, SunDeis definitely set itself apart from its progeny with Saturday's screening. Showing heavy emotion, from the darkness of grief to the strength and inspiration of hope, SunDeis proved that there's more than enough room for two film festivals on campus.

Editor's Note: Justice editor Brian Fromm acted in Annabelle Lee.