Slice of Life
Why live on Earth when you could live in paradise? It’s only one hundred thousand credits, a hefty slice of life which Patkány Krysa, living in his car and eating leftover takeaway thrown out in the garbage, has been saving towards, but with launch to the offworld colonies in less than twelve hours and still substantially short he may as well reach for the stars.
Some last minute deals make up some of the deficit, but in the end the only thing that will bridge the gap is investing in a module to hack an ATM, a desperate move that backfires, his attempt witnessed by LAPD cop Gris Varken, off-duty and eager to take the case on off-book for his own slice of life…
Directed by Luka Hrgović and Dino Julius from a script co-written with Anton Svetić who also stars as “the hero,” Slice of Life is a crowdfunded fan film set in the murky world of Blade Runner, the perpetual rain running black through the neon-lit streets as the dirt washes down to the lowest level.
Their original goal of $25,000 having been raised to a budget of $81,756 against by 1,403 backers based on the strength of their teaser and the promise of the campaign, the dialogue is minimal and the plot is slight but the setting is everything, and with Julius also serving as director of photography the crew have faithfully captured the sodden and dark mood of Ridley Scott’s original.
Looking astonishing and appropriately analogue, all the models having been custom built, lit and shot over the extended production period, Svetić stumbles through the city with a needy wide-eyed stare somewhere between baffled and challenging, barely trusting himself or his contacts, while Ivica “Dragonrage” Pustički’s “dirty cop” simply views him as an easy meal.
The sound design of Tim Žibrat justifiably drawing on Alien as well as Blade Runner, this bitter Slice of Life considers aspects only implied in the film but remains entirely consistent, the soundtrack of ethereal atmospheres and light jazz as much a homage as is the endemic sense of loss and futility, that the effort expended does not ever justify the minimal gain in a world where there are few second chances.
Slice of Life is currently playing the festival circuit
