Everyone is scared of something. Some fears, or phobias, are more common than others, such as fear of heights (acrophobia) and fear of the ocean (thalassophobia). These phobias have the ability to leave a person feeling powerless when faced with their fears, but luckily most are avoidable. Yet, there are those who are not so lucky and cannot avoid their fears. Ancraophobia is the fear of the wind, an entity that exists everywhere in the world. This fear takes on a new meaning in Ancraophobia, directed by Mahda Purmehdi, especially when screened at WOEFF in Oklahoma City, in the heart of Tornado Alley.  

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The film consists of seemingly pedestrian images. The street, a bedroom, a hallway, ordinary images from everyday life. But in the film’s soundtrack, something different happens. It starts with subtle streams of air that still pierces the ear, causing an eerie sensation. As the film progresses, the wind turns to violent gusts, as if a tornado is just outside the door. Interestingly, the wind picks up inside the house, where one would presumably feel safest (there’s even a cat, unbothered by the wind we hear). This shows the inescapability of this fear: even within the walls of your home, or in the company of your pets, you are not safe. The disconnect between image and sound highlights the anxiety of ancraophobia: our ears are pummeled by the sound, while our eyes only see a sunny and normal day. There’s a lingering and growing feeling that something bad is going to happen.  

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This lingering feeling also comes from how the film was shot. Purmedhi used a Bolex camera with 16mm film. The length of each shot was decided by the camera itself; the spring-wound Bolex runs the length of each wind. At times, the film lingers on the ceiling or a corner, forcing the audience to rely more on ears than on eyes. It’s like the wind is a physical being that is being forced upon us.  

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Fears and phobias, whether they be rational or irrational, are something to be taken seriously. We can try to live life without fear, but we should appreciate when fear comes — because that is life.  

 

-Tyler Bohanan, BFA On-Camera Acting ‘27