La Paranoia: A Short Film

Anna Chiara Taliani

Completed work

Director of Photography

Filmmaker

Video Editor

Adobe Premiere Pro

Film

La Paranoia

"Where fear turns into irony"

Overview

"La Paranoia" is a personal short film that began as an exploration of my fear of being alone, shaped by real experiences of intrusion and constant unease. Through the use of the 4:3 academic ratio, black & white imagery, and careful attention to symmetry and composition, The project transforms that fear into irony, turning anguish into something almost humorous. Created with minimal tools and the support of family, it became both a therapeutic journey and my first tangible step into the world of cinema and artistic direction.

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Visual and technical choices

The short film is mostly shot in 4:3 academic ratio. In post-production, I decided to switch everything to black & white, simplifying the challenge of color and light management and allowing me to focus more on image composition.

Since my camera (Canon 1300D) couldn't handle low-light filming, I shot everything using available light, adding visual details to suggest that the story unfolds at night. The film pays close attention to symmetry and makes use of slow shutter speed effects.

The story

The story follows Anna as the main protagonist, who finds herself alone at home yet again. This situation deeply unsettles her, as she has a persistent fear of being alone. Living in a countryside house with few neighbors, every unexplained noise, the silence, the solitude, and the darkness intensify her anxiety. As her mother and brother leave, Anna becomes increasingly unsettled. The longer she is alone, the more she starts to see and hear things, gradually slipping into Paranoia. She hears the doorbell ring, calls out, but no one is home. She checks outside, but there is no one there. Everyone around her tries to downplay her fears, yet the more she fears, the more convinced she becomes that something is present. Her Paranoia begins to manifest as a figure that follows her wherever she goes. No matter how much she tries to escape, it grows stronger, fed by her own fear. It even enters the house with her, pushing her further into panic. Eventually, her mother and brother return, finding Anna in a state of terror. Yet, as usual, they greet her with indifference, offering a casual goodnight. Anna responds with a mix of relief and detachment, as if all the anxiety she experienced never truly mattered. But in reality, her fear hasn't disappeared, it has merely been interrupted by the return of her family. The Paranoia is still there...Waiting.