With the 24-hour film race now a week behind us, the glitz and glam of NYU Abu Dhabi’s most prominent film event has begun to fade. It is during this time that one’s mind begins to turn from glory to legacy. One cannot help but wonder what will become of the legacy of one particular film. Tricycle: the Story of Alejandro Mora, enjoyed a sweep of three 24-hour film race awards, including Best Picture.

In examining the film, one cannot help but make comparisons to the blockbuster franchise that preceded it, Karabarate. Indeed, both films were forged in the fiery crucible that is the 24-hour film race, both met rave popularity from audiences and critics and both feature themes of a struggle for identity. In his infamous critical discourse on Karabarate, film theorist and Associate Professor of Cinema Studies Seung-hoon Jeong stated that one of the major narrative twists of Karabarate was the question: who am I?

In Tricycle, we see this same question repeated, but this time in the context of one’s social relations. Indeed, one of NYUAD’s most prominent film scholars, junior Luis Morales, described Tricycle as amazing. For those unfamiliar with Morales, such praise is akin to having Pablo Picasso wrench himself out of his grave and declare your art installation the masterpiece of the decade. In many ways, this enthusiasm harkens back to the Karabamania of the early 2011s, a time that, like the present, took place in the context of a new campus.

But one may also draw comparisons to another NYUAD masterpiece, the indie cult classic When is Nino Cricco. In many ways, When is Nino Cricco is the ying to Karabarate’s yang. Where Karabarate is a multi-part franchise for the masses, with its own Arabic language spinoff, When is Nino Cricco was a standalone, cerebral investigation of human nature. In his infamous textual analysis of When is Nino Cricco, junior Allen Magnusson posited that, “I think [Nino Cricco] has potential to captivate us for years to come.”

Unfortunately, it was simply not to be. Cricco subsequently abandoned his acting career and fled to New York, while director Robson Beaudry chose to refocus his efforts on a budding Illuminati conspiracy. Will this be the fate of Tricycle? Indeed, while many are clamouring for a sequel, it remains unclear if the creative quartet that produced Tricycle will have the perseverance to hold together their team. It may well be that Tricycle will be remembered as yet another singular cinematic moment in NYUAD history.

Whatever path Tricycle sets itself on, the fact remains that parallels to past successes are no assurance of a legacy among the greats. The rapt views of today can turn into the indifference of tomorrow, a lesson known by all too many filmmakers who have seen their works fade into the ether of public consciousness. Perhaps someday, Tricycle will truly take its place among the pantheon of NYUAD’s cinematic wonders: the likes of which include Karabarate 2: Ty Kwon Deux, Saudade, Tanzilluminati, and Funk and Fazekas’ Capstone Test Video. For now however, we can only wait for the next 24-hour film race, and let time choose its victors.