Drama,
13:15 minutes,
English,
BC,
2008
Synopsis
After escaping a lethal pandemic, a family of isolated survivors find themselves struggling with the sudden disappearance of their young son.
When word of his possible infection reaches them, the father is faced with an impossible choice regarding the fate of his family.
Creative team
Writer/director: Levon Henderson
Writer/producer: Michael Chmara
Personal statement
Levon Henderson and Michael Chmara say:
"Sanguine (adj.) – cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident.
It seems we can’t go a day without being reminded how quickly we are screwing up this world of ours. In making this film, we wanted to address the reality of our current world state. It’s in the news, on the TV, and in our backyard. It’s very immediate and very real. And yet, we must have hope in order to keep going. We must have hope to wake up in the morning.
So we ignore the most basic of human instincts – survival – and drown ourselves in the blind faith that everything will be okay in the end. This cognitive dissonance seems rampant in Western society these days: that we should go on living as we always have in spite of all we’ve seen and all we know.
Of course we didn’t want to write an essay, we wanted to make a film. Something that would entertain, frighten, excite and hopefully challenge people. Our hope is that Sanguine will be seen as a caustic statement, that if we do not act then we are essentially, and in some cases quite literally, killing our children. Hope and faith alone will not affect change. We need action. We need everyone to do their part."