Acting in a Film for the First Time | 347: A dystopian thriller

Director's Channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCPLHUNXpWTYeusON47Jac5A Hi guys!! In this video, I acted in my very first student film for the India Film Project. We ideated, scripted, filmed, directed, AND edited the entire film in under 50 hours and this was the result. I'm not an actor - pls don't roast me for my acting :* Here's a summary! 347 is a short film set in a dystopian society where individuality doesn’t exist. Inspired by Ayn Rand's Novel "Anthem". Titled “The New World,” this society is a product of the realisation that dissent is destructive - causing revolutions that upheave all order. Thus, to prevent this dissent, “The New World” wipes its citizens of their ability to remember the concept of “I.” From literally removing the “I” key on all keyboards to authorising only certain books, The New World represses all forms of individuality. The New World consists of individual units housing one citizen each. These units are also equipped with a robotic assistant, programmed to prevent its citizen from realising the suppression of their voice. “347” explores the development of one such unit in this society. It's citizen, our protagonist, has a defect in his memory wipe, waking up with the realisation that he has lost something. Throughout the film, he can be seen searching for this object, under the impression that it’s a physical piece - when it really is his sense of self. Throughout the film, our protagonist struggles to articulate his personal voice, pointing to himself while only being able to muster the word, “We,” a sign that he can’t identify himself. He also feels confined under the restrictions of The New World, attempting to leave its boundaries. However, when faced by his robotic assistant, he is unable to express his personal desire to escape, falling prey to her consistent reminder that “We like” being confined. Our protagonist’s inability to say “I” renders him helpless in his desire to dissent against the oppressive nature of The New World. Towards the end of the film, our protagonist discovers a secret box the robotic assistant has been keeping from him. Opening the box, he finds memorabilia from citizens before him, each capturing the existence of “I,” or rather, their own voice. Holding up an “I” key he finds in the box, our protagonist inserts it into his laptop, which had earlier been missing it. Asking in the fateful question, “Who am I?”. Unfortunately, before realising it, he’s suffocated and drugged by his robotic assistant and finally killed. The robotic assistant reminds his struggling body that the New World has no place for “I” and no place for dissent. “Dissent destroys balance,” she says, “and dissent opposes The New World. Thus, “347” explores the idea of a world without individuality, a world where each citizen cannot raise their voice against the injustices they face, and a world that is eerily reflective of the one we live in today.

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