Humanizer

Logline: Science has “fixed” the body and brain, producing a static world where art is extinct and humans live in isolation. Amongst the endless, automated monotony, Ashwin, a journalist, seeks out Daedalus, the last living painter, in hopes that their work will bring purpose to his aimless existence.Synopsis: In a near future where science has "fixed" the body and brain, South Asian journalist Ashwin lives in complete isolation, his only companion an AI earpiece called Father, who oversees his media access, meals, and all scheduled activities. Under his authoritarian regime, order and advancement are priority one, and connection to the land and to one another have become extremely scarce. Seeking release from the endless monotony, Ashwin awaits approval of his Human Partnership Visa, which would grant him access to his first ever human companion.On Day One, Ashwin wakes from dreams of a lush natural world he doesn't recognize. He moves through his usual routine: exercise, tea, and work, where he uses a tape recorder to interpret footage of catastrophic current events under Father's unyielding censorship. But when their bickering comes to a head, Ashwin discovers that Father has been withholding his visa denial all along, sending him into a fit of rage.The following morning, after a mandatory psychological evaluation, Ashwin receives word from fugitive artist Daedalus. Branded a terrorist by the state, she works outside the system to reclaim the memory, land, and community that have been stripped away through years of manipulation and control. Seized by visions of unknown family members and landscapes, Ashwin extracts his earpiece and abandons his silo in search of Daedalus' underground studio. Humanizer is a story about what we lose by capitulating to fear and of the untold blessings we stand to gain by risking it all.