German-Produced Sci-Fi Short 'GUARDIAN' Promises To Change The Game
One of the fringe benefits of covering independent sci-fi short films is the exposure to very exciting projects with much promise.
The forthcoming, German-produced sci-fi short GUARDIAN is such a project.
Several years in the making, GUARDIAN is the story of a mother, the artificial intelligence (A.I.) she created, and the potential threat it poses to the entire world.
A.I.s going rogue and threatening humanity is not a new narrative in sci-fi, but there a number of significant factors about GUARDIAN which promise to give the trope an intriguing new spin.
The World Of GUARDIAN
Written and directed by Peer Gopfrich and Amir Reichart respectively, the story of GUARDIAN is set 20 years into the future. Society is more technologically advanced, but still recognizable. On the geo-political stage, nation-states remain in conflict over precious natural resources, political and religious ideologies, and territory.
In other words, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The United States has launched a military space station armed with nuclear missiles into orbit; the idea is to attempt to institute peace via the threat of mutual assured destruction. The station’s functions are controlled and maintained by E.L.I. (Electronic Logarithmic Intelligence), a highly advanced A.I.
Humanity On The Precipice
As with most tense sci-fi stories involving A.I., the action and drama in GUARDIAN is ignited by a systems malfunction, which causes E.L.I. to plan an unprovoked, nuclear attack on an enemy nation. Such an act would assure humanity’s destruction in a global war.
Only E.L.I.’s creator, preeminent computer scientist Diane, and Sean, a station maintenance technician, are the world’s only hope in stopping the A.I.
The Maternal Factor
One of the first aspects of GUARDIAN which set it apart from similar sci-fi stories is having a woman as the main protagonist.
Despite many of sci-fi’s most iconic films featuring women as the lead, ie., the Alien and Terminator movie franchises, women-centered, onscreen sci-fi narratives are still far too rare.
GUARDIAN will be another welcome and much-needed addition to this legacy. Diane is a complicated character, possessing emotional and intellectual complexity.
Diane created E.LI. and sees it as a kind of surrogate for the son she lost due to an earlier attack by the same enemy nation the A.I. is targeting. The emotional stakes in GUARDIAN are high, because Diane has a very personal and conflicted connection with her creation.
While father-son relationships are often explored in sci-fi (Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, anyone?), we rarely see mother-child relationships given the same level of examination. Again, GUARDIAN will set itself apart in this respect.
A LABOR OF LOVE
Collaborating with filmmakers Gopfrich and Reichart to bring GUARDIAN to the screen is East End Film, a German production studio run by the brother-sister team of Elaine and Tommy Niessner.
Per Elaine Niessner, East End Film was attracted to GUARDIAN because of its exciting and provocative script, as well as the production team’s love of quality science fiction. The short is a labor of love.
East End Film, in partnership with Region Five Media, assembled an international team of talented visual effects professionals who are passionate about making the project look as dynamic and cutting-edge as anything Hollywood produces. After watching some of the behind-the-scenes footage of the making of GUARDIAN, I am convinced they will succeed.
GUARDIAN is set in an intriguing near-future. A future populated by interesting, layered characters involved in a resonant story about human conflict, grief, loss, and ultimately, hope - all set against the backdrop of a thrilling sci-fi adventure.
GUARDIAN: The Community
I had the privilege of speaking with the filmmakers, and they revealed they chose to conduct crowdfunding campaigns to not only raise production capital, but also to build a community of fans and supporters from all over the world.
This kind of earnest community outreach is not typical of most productions, and is further proof of how much the filmmakers are passionate about science fiction and the intensity of their desire to tell an outstanding story their audiences will connect to.
In fact, each month, the filmmakers conduct live Zoom calls where they hosts chats and discussions with fans about various topics relevant to sci-fi. One of their most recent topics was about the role of women in science fiction.
Again, this level of dedication to storytelling and fan engagement is extremely rare. Frankly, it is refreshing and bodes well for the level of quality GUARDIAN will possess as a whole.
Finally
After viewing much of the sneak peek footage and having spoken to the leaders of the production, my excitement level for GUARDIAN is high.
I strongly encourage you to explore the world fascinating of the short using the links below, and discover how you can support this ambitious project - as well as become a part of its growing grassroots community.
Sci-fi can offer much more than bombastic visual and special effects with shallow-as-a-spoon characters. GUARDIAN promises to bring to the table a genre story with a beating heart and exhilarating spectacle.
You can be a part of it. So dive in.
Explore the world of GUARDIAN:
Visit GUARDIAN ON KICKSTARTER.
Explore GUARDIAN ON INDIEGOGO
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