12 min · Malayalam · Animation
Follow a stream through the eyes of three curious children—a little adventure for anyone who remembers asking big questions about the world.
Calm short films
89 Calm short films in the cafe, running 2 to 37 minutes. Many are bittersweet or thought-provoking. They span 13 languages. Each is a complete standalone short film, chosen by the cafe and played through its original video provider.
15 min · Malayalam · Comedy · Drama
A cat named Mottu tells his own story of companionship, heartbreak and finding himself. A gentle Malayalam film that MMC viewers watch all the way through.
2 min · No dialogue · Drama
A wordless, under-two-minute short made, as its maker puts it, for those still awake at 2 a.m. Pour a late cup and settle in.
17 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance
An Idly Upma original shot, edited and directed by Sujith S: a simple, gentle Tamil tale from the lockdown months.
32 min · Kannada · Romance · Drama
For the goodbye that arrives before you are ready. A former couple shares one last stretch of time together.
7 min · English · Science fiction
David Lea's sci-fi for DUST: every Sunday an old man and his dog walk to the Cornish clifftops, but this time they're not alone. Six quiet, wondrous minutes.
13 min · Malayalam · Romance · Drama
For a quiet pause rather than a big twist, spend time with Dear June's longtime lovers and the little moments that make up their relationship.
11 min · Malayalam · Drama · Romance
Spend a little time with the love story in “ChithraKadha”.
21 min · English · Documentary
Take a short break with “Our Neighbors, The Peacocks” to see the world from another angle.
20 min · Kannada · Drama
Sunayana Suresh writes, produces and directs this quiet Kannada drama starring Sruthi Hariharan, with music by All OK.
27 min · Hindi · Drama · Romance
Sometimes love lives in the routines we share. Settle in for Ram and Shakuntala's Thursday ritual, and the companionship built around a meal.
11 min · Malayalam · Drama · Romance
When life changes without warning, what does it mean to be there for someone? Try Midway for a brief Malayalam story about devotion within a marriage.
15 min · Bengali · Drama
Promita Bhowmik's Bengali drama stars Madhabi Mukherjee as Mrinmoyee, 75, who has lost loved ones to the pandemic and decides to start life afresh. Fourteen quietly hopeful minutes.
19 min · Tamil · Romance · Drama
An Idly Upma original adapted from Naran's short story Pen Kaadhu, directed by Surya Bharathi: a slow, harmonious Tamil romance that takes its time to find its rhythm.
38 min · Malayalam · Drama
Nadiya Moidu leads this thirty-seven-minute Malayalam mother-and-daughter drama, gentle and dreamlike, like a story told at midnight.
11 min · Malayalam · Drama
A longed-for celebration gives way to an unwelcome duty. Try this Malayalam short for a young nun caught between a private wish and another person's need.
19 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance
Anandhi reconnects with her college friend Balaji over a night of wandering and talking. A gentle Tamil romance in eighteen minutes.
31 min · Hindi · Romance
One cafe table holds years of unanswered questions. Try this if stories about longing and the places we return to speak to you.
20 min · Bengali · Drama · Romance
Anirban Chakraborty's Bengali drama with Kaushik Sen and Debolina Dutta, which its makers say won best film and best director at Indian short film festivals in 2018.
9 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama
A tree grows as the family around it changes. Watch for an animated reflection on care, time and the life rooted in one place.
15 min · Bengali · Drama
Settle in for a Bengali short about friendship, love and loneliness. A pick for the feelings that sit between life's everyday moments.
6 min · Malayalam
A 2012 Malayalam musical short fiction directed by Jose Mohan, with English subtitles available.
9 min · No dialogue · Animation
A wordless animation: a shepherd turns wool into rain clouds that keep his valley green. When he dies, his loyal dog must carry on the work. Nine minutes that will move dog lovers.
8 min · English · Documentary
Carving a wooden spoon becomes a way to think about the doubts we bring to our work. A pick for slowing down with someone's craft and honesty.
27 min · Tamil · Drama
A familiar face can transform an ordinary route. Try this Tamil romance for a story of quiet admiration and the fear of losing a small daily joy.
6 min · No dialogue · Animation
See human history from a stone's point of view. Watch for a wordless journey that turns the passage of time into an animated adventure.
30 min · Malayalam · Drama
A cab ride becomes a journey through the people who shape a life. Watch this Malayalam drama for a reflection on connection and finding closure.
23 min · Bengali · Drama
Take a day out of a veteran actor's life. Watch for a Bengali story about looking inward and holding on to a passion for living.
12 min · No dialogue · Animation
A wordless animated short about a father trying to reach his autistic son, who runs into a strange forest of blue butterflies and menacing trees. Eleven tender minutes.
21 min · Marathi · Drama
For a Marathi literary adaptation, try Kranti Kanade's Chaitra, featuring Sonali Kulkarni and based on a story by G. A. Kulkarni.
16 min · Malayalam · Drama
Try a fifteen-minute Malayalam short from Anandakrishnan and Nerambokku. A pick for exploring a local filmmaking team's work.
8 min · English · Animation · Fantasy · Romance
One grand ball, and very little time to find love. Try this puppet fairytale, narrated by Stephen Fry, for a story about making the most of the time we have.
8 min · No dialogue · Animation · Science fiction
One astronaut reaches out across the distance. Watch for a wordless animation about loneliness and our need for contact.
7 min · No dialogue · Animation
Losing a shell may be the start of finding a friend. Follow two small crabs through a wordless adventure on a very big beach.
9 min · Japanese · Animation
A Kyoto Seika University graduation anime by Shuzuku: in a ruined world, a lonely girl writes down the poems a radio reads each day, and goes looking for the voice.
31 min · English · Documentary
See our shared home through the memories of the people who first photographed it from lunar orbit. Earthrise offers an astronaut-led documentary reflection on a picture that changed the view.
24 min · Tamil · Romance
A power cut puts a girl afraid of the dark and a guy who can't sleep on the same terrace. Arjun's gentle Tamil romance lets them trade secrets until morning.
5 min · English · Documentary
Take a short break with “Forest Bathing” to see the world from another angle. Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of healing in the forest.
14 min · Tamil · Drama
Music and memory hold space for someone who is gone. Try Frangipani for a short tribute to friendship and the people who first believe in us.
9 min · English · Drama · Romance
Uli Meyer's elegant English ghost story, written with Michael Marshall Smith: an amateur artist keeps sketching the same woman in a churchyard and decides she must be a ghost. Eight quietly romantic minutes.
Related guides
Thought-provoking short films · Bittersweet short films · Feel-good short films · Suspenseful short films · Light-hearted short films · Emotional short films · All guides