In 2018, VPRO Medialab will roll out the Blok22 project. This project focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT): we explore the possibilities of storytelling in, around and with a 'smart home'. We also want to contribute to awareness of the Internet of Things in our daily lives.
Blok22 consists of three parts: three short fiction films, an IoT LivingLab in Eindhoven and an exhibition during the DDW. Preparations for the films are now in full swing.
For the three short fiction films about IoT, one of the three parts of the Blok22-project, VPRO Medialab received 15 cool script-outlines. We chose three that are now being realized.
Three short fiction films
On developing the films VPRO Medialab works together with our colleagues from VPRO Drama. This department within the VPRO has a considerable track record in fiction production. Series like A'dam-EVA, Missie Aarde and Toren C, films like Riphagen and Matterhorn and recently also a number of successful web series like Infantilio and Hehobros.
Late 2017 we invited twenty young, talented screenwriters and filmmakers from all over the country to write a script-outline for a short film that takes place in a fully connected apartment in Eindhoven. During an inspiration session on 22 December the filmmakers received information about Blok22 and inspiration from presentations by Internet of Things-experts Iskander Smit (ThingsCon, Info.nl) and Tijmen Schep (SetUp, Pineapple Jazz).
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VPRO Medialab
The three selected scripts
Early January 2018 we received fifteen cool script-outlines. From these we selected three film scripts:
AGAINST ALL BOTS - Nils Vleugels and Anouk Vleugels
Tom's digital assistant Robin knows that his girlfriend is going to dump him before he knows himself.
RITA - Elly Scheele and Ivo van Aart
The Syrian refugee Amina learns to speak Dutch with her INBURGR-device that helps her to improve her language and pronunciation. When it turns out that this device not only influences her language, but also her way of thinking and living, Amina rebels against it.
ALEX - Levi Verspeek and Roman Strijbos
In the seventies, Peter received the first primitive edition of the home assistant: ALEX. ALEX is in fact a person hidden in a closet. He keeps an eye on what his boss is doing and sells this information and data. When Peter suffers from a heart attack, the 'smart speaker' is faced with a moral dilemma; will he watch his boss suffer or will he intervene and thus reveals his identity.
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Leonieke Verhoog / VPRO Medialab