The mystery behind the subtle mimicry of the “smiling woman” is the subject of endless debate. Time will tell whether a definitive, historical answer will ever be given to the secret guarding within itself the philosophy of a smile. I believe, however, that this long-sought philosophy is right before our eyes, but in another sense — beyond the factual. Where a person cannot give an answer, experience has shown that something universal, particular in its nature, even metaphysical, is often hidden — and it is usually only centimeters from our nose.

The allegorical cinematic work that Veselka Kuncheva creates embodies a distinctive reading of the secret behind Mona Lisa’s smile, mythologizing her image in her own way and offering us precisely such a non-factual, animated perspective on the enigmatic smile. The most curious thing is that her image remains exactly as we know it — veiled and invisible beyond the single moment of her existence captured in time.

It would be incorrect to watch this short film without an awareness of its metaphorical meaning, which suggests that behind every image, staging choice, and framing lies something more. This is likely so because the plotline, at first glance, is quite simple and becomes clear right in the work’s synopsis. A grumbling man rides a donkey along a dusty road, followed by a woman carrying a bundle of hay. The end of their road is not visible, and it is not an easy one — especially for the woman. She bends under the weight of her burden, unlike the man, who apparently carries none.

The injustice in the overall picture of events is undeniable — a kind of Sisyphean labor, domestic, almost slave-like, directed by a figure to whom we could ascribe all sorts of antagonistic epithets, stemming from our notions of cohabitation between woman and man. But if I’m to be entirely honest, I don’t think the images of the man and the woman have anything in common. On the contrary — a whole chasm lies between them. As for cohabitation — that would be impossible.

Drawing on the eternal symbolism of the road as a convergence of human life along with its trials, one can conclude that the image of the man is not human. On his shoulders lie no burdens such as every mortal carries along their life’s path. He determines the affairs of tomorrow and possesses a sufficiently all-encompassing worldview to justly distribute what is deserved to each. Though unappealing, the man is not evil by nature — he is capable of a noble act born of pure goodwill. It is impossible to find anything immoral in throwing crumbs to the industrious ants — they undoubtedly deserve it. And yet, it would have been wonderful if the hardworking woman also received some morsel, or at least a drop of water, for her labor. But alas — that is not the case. It is hard for me not to compare the viewer’s attitude toward the image of the man with a person’s attitude toward their own fate. In both cases, it is difficult to understand the justice behind the forces at work.

The parable-like character of the events in the short film is quite evident. Life itself, fate, and the human being caught between them are embodied within it. Up to this point, existence is strewn with unbearable cruelty, at first glance. Only when a person pauses for a moment, takes a breath, and gazes into the otherwise veiled beauty of existence — only then does he find delight in the seemingly incomprehensible world.

Many psychologists today believe that behind Mona Lisa’s expression lies melancholy mixed with joy and illusion, which allows us to project our own feelings onto her face. I would call it existential ambivalence, in which dark and light feelings naturally coexist, inseparable by their very nature from consciousness. Whatever her life may have been, the Renaissance woman likely experienced firsthand the duality between an infinitely beautiful and simultaneously cruel life — just as all of us do, according to our own perceptions. Of course, beauty lies within ourselves — within those to whom the divine ability to consciously exist has been given.

In its attempt to recreate universality within an almost mythologized cultural symbol, the short film “Mona Lisa” can be called masterful.