Short of the Week
A format that allows emerging talent to showcase their work, the short film anthology has become a popular method for introducing exciting new worlds, and cutting-edge filmmaking techniques, to an eager audience. In the realm of science fiction, the likes of Love, Death & Robots and the Oats Studios series has proved popular programming for Netflix in recent years. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of both of these anthologies, A Thousand Suns is a collection of six short films (with more to come) serving up “visions of humanity’s future, shaped by the actions of our world today: a gateway drug to our hopes, dreams and nightmares.”
You can watch the first six episodes of the A Thousands Suns anthology on YouTube now.
Created by S/W alum MacGregor and including films from previously featured directors Ruairi Robinson and Tim Hyten, the filmmakers set out to “revive the kind of original, mind-bending, thought-provoking sci-fi” they grew up on. Speaking about their aims for the anthology, the collective explained that: “We’ve all been repeatedly told “that isn’t possible”, so we decided to go ahead and do it anyway. We didn’t have the budget to make a hundred million dollar movie, but we knew we could make short films that looked like hundred million dollar movies.”
With the first six episodes of the anthology released today (April 15th, 2024), the team behind A Thousand Suns is hoping to turn it into a “streaming series” and even have feature-length stories based on some of the episodes, which they believe would “play great on the big screen”.
Episodes
“In A Thousand Suns, episodes follow mankind’s struggle to survive in a universe that seems to want us extinct.”
With the six shorts serving up a diverse selection of storylines, linked through the common theme of the survival of mankind, the films deliver action, world-building, and emotional investment throughout the anthology’s brief duration (the longest film comes in just under the six-minute mark). Some of the episodes are bound to impress more than others, but it’s an ambitious collection and a striking showcase for the filmmaking talent involved.
Episode 1: Ice by Ruairi Robinson
Synopsis: An advance scout is sent to probe the frigid expanse of a distant world for signs of life, as a candidate for planetary terraforming.
The story of terraformers on an alien planet has become a staple of the science fiction genre and here Robinson blends elements of that particular storyline as we follow an explorer investigating a frozen world. With our own planet in the grips of global warming, it’s not unthinkable that in the future we may well look for other worlds to inhabit, but as Ice shows, humanity might not be as welcome as it thinks.
Watch Episode 1: Ice
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Episode 2: Red by MacGregor
Synopsis: On the vast expanse of an alien desert, a heretic faces her accusers and casts judgment on them.
An impressive production where the costumes stand out as much as the visual FX work, Red introduces a universe where religion rules, and those who don’t follow are punished. Inspired by MacGregor’s fascination with the “unique canvas” of a “tidally locked planet”, Red is a visually impressive film with a premise primed for further adaptation.
Watch Episode 2: Red
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Episode 3: Exodus by Tyson Wade Johnston
Synopsis: Those with means flee a climate-ravaged Earth, seeking refuge in the stars. Those without are left behind, holding onto hope.
A short that explores what Earth could look like if we don’t tackle the effects of climate change, along with its environmental message, Exodus also tackles themes of class and inequality. Set over a 50-year timespan as described as a “story of a vicious generational cycle”, by director Tyson Wade Johnston, this is one of the most relatable narratives of the anthology.
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Episode 4: Deal by MacGregor
Synopsis: Chased across an increasingly harsh landscape, a lone rebel goes to ground, only to find herself face-to-face with older, darker, forces.
A timeless story of a warrior on the brink of death after a ferocious battle, Deal was inspired by the “fast-cut movements” of Japanese cinema and the “rough brutality” of Scandinavian filmmaking. An unusual blend of “half samurai elegance and half Viking ferocity”, the unforgiving landscapes play a vital role in the impressive world-building, as the titular arrangement leaves you eager to find out what happens next.
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Episode 5: Bug by Tim Hyten & MacGregor
Synopsis: In a house deep in the forest, a young domestic worker has her chores interrupted by news that will forever change her.
A story of water contamination, Bug is one of the most grounded, and terrifying, shorts in the anthology. Slipping into the realms of body horror, this four-minute film leans into a more believable premise than the rest of the shorts in the series, until its conclusion delivers a truly nightmarish vision.
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Episode 6: Tomorrow Land by Ruairi Robinson
Synopsis: We’re fucked.
Described by Robinson as “a love letter to my favorite corporation,” Tomorrow Land stands as the shortest film in the collection. As it zeroes in on a desolate world, barren of life, rather than following characters or adhering to a traditional narrative, this short chooses to depict a bleak Earth, recognizable only by the enduring presence of a distinctive mascot amidst the ruins.