Permafrost

We all have different intuitions on how the human race will be eradicated, everything all seems unimaginable until we experience the unforgiving onslaught of this decade. The past year and still continuing have made us experience the fatality of the pandemic, however, it seems that it is not the only battle that we humans are ought to face. From human chaos and outrage to mother nature’s inevitable wrath, every form of apocalyptic destruction seems possible. The recent Texas winter storm which caused major blackouts, food, heat, and water shortages has left the nation shocked and unprepared. And today’s film highlight gave me an after story of what might have been if Texas’s coldest night developed to its cruelest form to destroy mankind. A short film directed by a first-time filmmaker, Aeryn Lee, and written by Nathaniel Porter takes us on a suspenseful and freezingly nerve-wracking journey in “Permafrost”

The story of “Permafrost” is set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic aftermath where the remaining humans start from scratch on a wasteland of freezing snow and strongly depend on each other to survive. The lack of technology and formal education left many of them lost in the infinite cold. However, the talent of a young girl named Cass, who seemed to see through the depths and chaos of the snow gave her team the hope to navigate and set out on a journey to the deadly permafrost and find an essential artifact. Facing the imminent danger of the snowstorm, with depleting supplies to keep warm and survive the freezing night the team struggled to keep moving and stay alive, leaving Cass with the remains of her team frozen to death. Is this the end of their search for the essential artifact? Will Cass find the courage to continue the journey through the unforgiving cold of the permafrost? What would you do if you are in her shoes? If you want to know more about what happened to Cass and what entails ahead of her in the permafrost, well better catch this film as it makes its rounds in different film festivals all over the world. And I guarantee you are watching a game-changer in the post-apocalyptic drama scene.

I commend the effort that filmmaker Aeryn Lee took to make this film possible. She didn’t just conquer the utmost challenges of filming this movie in an extremely unfavorable environment of the freezing snow but also being able to impressively complete it despite the impediments of the current pandemic. And as a first-time filmmaker, her talent in story-telling is indeed impressive. I appreciate how she combined the elements of survival and hope without compromising the human factors between each character. As for the technical aspects and the cast of the movie, this one will undoubtedly impress you. It has quality cinematography, props, and production settings. And the cast evidently gave it their best. They have conveyed a perfect freezing apocalyptic experience that anyone watching them will have him or herself imagine what it is like to be there. Overall, Permafrost is a must-see and indeed a contender in the short film category. Amazing work to director Aeryn Lee and her team!