SXSW: Lapsis
In a parallel world, Quantum computers are connected via an internet run by extensive fiber-optic cables. These cables are connected to Quantum cubes hidden in the forest. A cottage industry is born where freelance cablers make some quick money running these cables from cube to cube.
Ray (Dean Imperial) is a delivery man who is fairly out of the loop of today’s technology. His kid brother Jamie (Babe Howard) is a tech wiz but he’s suffering from Omnia, a type of chronic fatigue syndrome. After experimenting with a variety of treatments, Ray decides to put Jamie into a treatment facility. The problem is that Ray can’t afford the the hefty medical bill with just his day job. So he signs up to be a cabler. Ray starts off on the wrong foot when he’s given another person’s username, Lapsis Beeftech. The cabling system is highly political and cablers gamify to make the most money possible. Ray meets Anna (Madeline Wise), a jaded cabler who catches on to the predicament Ray finds himself in. Can Ray just keep his head down enough to finish his cabling gig and get the proper treatment for Jamie? And who was Lapsis Beeftech?
Lapsis is an exploration of how the gig economy dehumanizes all in the name of money. Ray is a complete outsider. Cabling to him is a means to an end. A way for him to save his brother. But in the cabling world everyone is out to make a quick buck, at the cost of others. It’s a bizarre little film. I didn’t quite fully understand why people had to cable or what those Quantum cubes actually were. But as far as science fiction films go, this one was fairly enjoyable and offers just the right insight into the human condition.
Lapsis was set to have its world premiere at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival. Visit the official website for more information.