Video: In the not-too-distant future, a tenuous peace between humans and remarkably humanlike “machines” — some don’t even know they’re not real — is tested when synthetics begin spontaneously exploding. A military-led search for these unwitting suicide bombers begins, sending a terrified machine woman and her human partner on the run.
Image: Master Key Films
Seam — named for a volatile border area sandwiched between the designated machine containment zone and the human world — borrows from some excellent inspirations, including Blade Runner. But the 20-minute short, made by twin brothers Rajeev and Elan Dassani, makes its mark with outstanding special effects and well-chosen location shooting. Though the film begins in sleek Hong Kong, its visual style is most unique when it contrasts the futuristic tech used by its characters with ancient settings, including a chase scene that winds through the narrow streets of Salt, Jordan. The climactic sequence takes place in Wadi Rum, the otherworldly desert last seen playing Jedha in Rogue One.
Learn more about Seam — and keep tabs on the brothers’ quest to expand their short into a feature film — at its official website, which is also packed with behind-the-scenes info about the shoot and the visual effects process.