Consider The Violence Of Cutting Roses, 16:16
Albuquerque, New Mexico,
Currently in competition, 2024
An unnamed pair of 'pilots' test a psychotropic drug in a virtual reality machine of their own making, dubbed The Cynk.
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Consider The Violence of Cutting Roses was originally conceived as an 'exquisite corpse' concept piece- a collaboration between actor Levi Lobo and director / cinematographer Alan Jensen during return trips to his home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The film was financed by director Alan Jensen entirely out of pocket and shot over the course of a year and a half between his obligations to commercial and documentary projects in early 2023 through 2024.
The resulting work propels a gritty, experimental nonlinear science-fiction narrative into the backdrop of the great Southwest, beckoning the viewer to wade in a combination of strange, richly handcrafted ARPANET era textures and decipher a world of sinister, wayward computer worms through the framework of a flawed virtual universe.
The film also serves a timepiece for the growth of actor Levi Lobo, who was consistently tapped to perform for the duration of the film's production from 2023-2024, often ad-libbing and improvising with the director on site.
Consider The Violence of Cutting Roses might like to find itself melting into the web of early debut sci-fi releases like 'THX 1138' and 'Stereo' - and in a slightly more contemporary sense, 'Holy Motors'.
Contact @alanleejensen@gmail.com for pre-screeners