A Surreal Short Film Shot with a Smartphone Tells a Tale of a Posthuman Future17.04.2019

FILTRATE is a 12-minute-long vision of a future where people communicate using a rune-like symbols in an immersive social media network. The film’s been shot on location in the Montreal metro using only an iPhone.

The director Mishka Kornai describes his film, set sometime in the near future, as “an exploration of digital connectivity and physical isolation.” Rather than alien invasions of robot revolutions, FILTRATE instead focuses on posthumans, which is the term transhumanists use to describe those who will inherit the Earth from us—creatures whose capabilities will be greatly augmented by technology. 

“If people retreat into smaller and more idiosyncratic groups, what will the evolutionary trajectory of our society look like? As social groups diverge further and further over the course of generations, when does humanity cease to be just one species?” said Mishka Kornai

The cast sports futuristic costumes designed by Odette Mattha, whose prior credits include music videos for MISSIO and Janelle Monáe. The designer used shimmering tinsel and textured fabrics that perfectly fit the details of the film’s setting. The outfits also draw on Montreal’s subway system, where each station was designed by a different architect. 
The development of FILTRATE took over two years, including a six-month costume design period, forty-three shooting days, and over twelve months of post-production. Although it has an intensely high-tech feel, FILTRATE it was filmed using just a smartphone, a wheelchair, a monopod, and a hand stabilizer. The making-of video below offers a good behind-the-scenes look at the film’s production: