The film is a remarkable technical achievement and, akin to all great works of science fiction, quickly reveals itself as a thoughtful treatise on human nature (even in the absence of humans) and an unsettling meditation on where we are heading and the final control we have over the universe that surrounds us, the jury of the Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (HÕFF) stated in a communication.
According to the jury at the annual film festival, the film by Gonçalo Almeida is a work in which the protagonist attempts to escape an apparently impossible situation and provides a glimpse of a living being, victimized by human actions.
For Gonçalo Almeida, the vulnerability of humanity and its impact on the planet are becoming increasingly evident in the “age of the anthropocene.”
“Nations rationalize the damage of technological progress under the guise of scientific advancement. However, the true drive behind such advances is the quest for geopolitical dominance. This quest for supremacy is the main instigator of large-scale conflicts,” he stated.
From a cosmic perspective, considering that “all species are equal,” the director raises several questions about human reconciliation.
With a duration of nine minutes and shot with a real spider and real settings, without reliance on artificial intelligence, the film rejects the supremacy of technology over art in cinema.
The film had its world premiere at the latest edition of Fantastic Fest in the United States and was subsequently showcased at major international genre film festivals such as the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and Molins Horror Film Festival in Spain, Les Utopiales, Festival international de Science-Fiction, and PIFFF – Paris International Fantastic Film Festival, where it also received awards in France.
‘ATOM & VOID’ is also set to be screened at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia in Japan.
