In this experimental short film, Writer-Director Apostoly Peter Kouroumalis explores the duality of man. War, poverty, death, and everything in between is brought to light in this tragic telling of the depreciating nature of mankind. All you know will be questioned, all you believe in will be debunked, and the horrors of an ever-changing world will be brought to the forefront of Akedellic. You have no idea what you’re about to experience, and things will never be the same.
Nothing makes sense–and yet, everything that Kouroumalis expresses to his viewers is accessible, understandable, and completely accurate in the grand scheme of life. Viewers will be exposed to visions of war and death, some of the most horrific things that man will ever experience, and the visuals present throughout Akedellic are interestingly saddening. There’s no structure to this short film, and there’s no linear path that can be followed in order to understand what is occurring–but somehow the visuals make sense to viewers. It actually confuses me how effectively Kouroumalis is able to reach viewers through his fractured telling of the journey of man–but he accomplishes this feat nonetheless.
Akedellic is simply a montage of clips from different times in history pieced together with a struggle of two men (Kouroumalis and Bob Lacombe) and a woman (Sophie Lembrechts). Together these visuals create something unique, as they attempt to express to viewers how mankind is evolving into something less than adequate. I often look at the world and I’m conflicted on how I feel regarding the scope of mankind and the earth. On one hand we are making tremendous strides in technology, science, etc., but on the other hand we seem to be struggling to come to terms with the reality that faces us, the one that threatens to end the human race. Akedellic and its cast and crew seem to believe that the latter is more true, and that changes need to be made before things can get better. Regardless of your stance on the state of the world, you will be able to understand what is being expressed throughout Akedellic.
The word “Akadellic” was one that I was completely unfamiliar with. That’s fair, however, as it’s a combination of Kouroumalis’ initials and the word “psychedelic.” For those who don’t have the ability to speak to Kouroumalis, the title, Akedellic, can cause some issues. The reality is that the title of a film can play a pivotal role in its reception, and having viewers struggling to figure out the title’s meaning can make it difficult to decipher the meaning of the film as a whole. The laborious nature of this aspect of the film takes something away from the narrative, but fortunately it doesn’t ruin Akedellic altogether.
While the three actors share a similar amount of screentime, I consider Lembrechts’ “Vision of Woman” character to be the lead. She is ultimately what pulls everything together, and it feels as if she may be the most prominently featured actor in Akedellic. She, throughout each and every scenario, each and every scene, remains composed but firm, ultimately expressing the tone of the film to viewers. While she seems unrattled by the ever-changing landscape of the world, the seriousness present on her face feels as if she’s trying to express to viewers how horrific and tragic the things occurring actually are.
Akedellic is an experimental, outside-the-box look at tragedies that have befallen man throughout the course of our history. Through the montage of what feels like a flipbook of visuals, viewers are given the opportunity to see years of disaster, but even better, they are given the opportunity to evaluate it. In this one-of-a-kind drama, the world sees the truth.
Written & Directed by Apostoly Peter Kouroumalis.
Starring Apostoly Peter Kouroumalis, Bob Lacombe, & Sophie Lambrechts.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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