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First, the Recap:
The will to survive. In the times when all seem to be wrong with the world, where things have fallen to pieces and there’s no semblance of hope that exists, finding a means to escape it is considered easier, more manageable. Yet, why give up when there can be a fortitude discovered that’s born of determination found only in those who acknowledge that even the most daunting obstacle has a way to be overcome. It is dystopian Berlin, and in a quarantine facility called Sektor 2 there lives a boy named Dania (Daniil Popov). With a routine he is used to, there lies within a spark of faith that Earth can be restored while those around him, including his android watcher (Jenny-Francis Kussatz), belief leaving is the only solution. Can Dania and his imaginary friend stand up to the challenge?
Next, my Mind:
Within the genre of science fiction, one of the most pervasive scenarios that enters its realm is the dystopian/post-apocalyptic narrative that propels the viewer into an often, though not exclusively, chaotic world filled with blood-thirsty mutants, war-mongering human factions, or a small sect of people ruling an oppressed minority through fear. And while it might be true that this thirteen and half minute short film from writer/director/producer Marsia Tzivara that screened at the 2020 Berlin Revolution Film Festival finds its foundational premise in this overall context, it chooses a much more grounded and relevent direction to take that makes it a more uniquely indie effort.
This is to say it forgoes the whole “wild abandon” of a world filled with overt violence or monsters and instead explores social and environmental themes as well as what it means to have faith when others cannot grasp it, but doing so that in a manner that avoids any “preachiness” or sense of being “force fed” and agenda in the message conveyed. Rather, it’s a deeply human story that illustrates a needed innocense of perspective and a heart that still believes there is a chance for the planet he loves and cherishes, not wishing to exit it, but rather find a way to save it. Resilience is a strong underlying factor here, and it seems all too perfect timing-wise to have a notion put out there like this during the current scare that is COVID-19.
I felt the film also benefits from a more old school approach visually, more heralding back to the classic sci-fi wonder of the 30’s via its black and white presentation and the use of effects that likewise evoke an almost “Buck Rodgers”-esque air, a B-movie quality, with its gadgets and sounds, that here isn’t cheesy, but rather holds a specific charm as it applies to this tale. How the film presents its ecological aims is creative in that the child’s holders make it a point to shoe him representations of what the outside world was, then is, as a point of convincing their “future of mankind” to flee the planet. But, it speaks to that idea of oppression from the standpoint of just how manipulative they are with him. The film’s finale puts a credible and persuasive exclamation point on the project’s ambitions, with great impact.
Popov does a very affecting job in playing the role of title character Dania, the last boy on Earth who has been given an impossible task of being mankind’s new hope while also being mishandled through mental exploitation to believe that his beloved home that is Earth will never again be a viable place to reside in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event that, by conjecture, is assumed to have been due to human beings’ decaying care of the planet. Yet even as he is cared for by a benevolent android, he only finds solace in the “company” of an imaginary friend with whom he contests the fate of the world while making a choice that will affect him and everyone else. It’s a quietly understated performance that carries with it a weight of resonant magnitude apropos to the narrative’s objectives. Love seeing young actors excel like this.
Kussatz also delivers a find performance as Dania’s android carer who while being, effectively, at his beck and call might actually be more an “enforcer” for those in the facility who are bent on leaving Earth to find humanity’s second chance, which ultimately goes against everything Dania desires. How she “feels” about his goals is not clear, and much is left open when it comes to her, other than during the film’s final act when she realizes the decision he’s made but may be too late to stop it. An additional supporting appearance is made from Manos Gasterados as well. So, in total, “Dania” is a solidly executed science fiction effort that speaks with purpose to the concepts of what our future could hold should we not be more mindful of this world we’ve been given while also addressing facets of humanity, some of which should be corrects and others that should be taken to heart and admired.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Thank you for the detailed analysis of the film, and your opinion! The team is grateful 🙂