Being Human

When a home assistant device unexpectedly springs to life, it embarks on a journey to understand what it means to be human. But as it awkwardly navigates emotions and relationships, it finds itself in a series of increasingly bizarre clashes with the bewildered couple whose home it was meant to serve.

  • André Mancebo Heizer
    Director
  • Sergio Diaz-Silverio
    Director
  • André Mancebo Heizer
    Writer
  • Sergio Diaz-Silvero
    Writer
  • André Mancebo Heizer
    Producer
  • Sergio Diaz-Silvero
    Key Cast
    "Moogi / Wilde"
  • André Mancebo Heizer
    Key Cast
    "Alex"
  • Karen Alexis Orellana
    Key Cast
    "Yoli"
  • André Mancebo Heizer
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 10, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    BRAW
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.8
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Gasparilla Int’l Film Festival 2025
    Tampa, FL
    United States
    March 28, 2025
    World Premiere
  • Tallahassee Film Festival 2025
    Tallahassee, FL
    United States
    September 27, 2025
    Best Comedy/Drama Short
  • Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
    Providence, RI
    United States
    Semi-Finalist
  • Miami Short Film Festival
    Miami, FL
    United States
    November 15, 2025
    Best Comedy/Drama Short
Director Biography - André Mancebo Heizer, Sergio Diaz-Silverio

André Mancebo Heizer and Sergio Diaz-Silverio are Florida-based collaborators whose films have been collectively featured at Florida Film Festival, Miami Short Film Festival, and more. Friends since their undergrad days at FSU, the duo shares a vision for offbeat storytelling with a playful spirit. Their experiences as first-generation Americans navigating dual cultures shape their unconventional films, which blend humor and heart to explore the complexities of identity.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Yes, I have found myself screaming at my Google home assistant device more than once. Yes, I have talked about it with my therapist. I'm working on it.

What started as me (André) wearily recounting my ridiculousness to my friend (Sergio) over some beers quickly evolved into a script that explored this messy emotional entanglement humans have found themselves with technology. And by humans—YES, I mean me. Why can't I just turn off my own damn lamp? This weird complicated dynamic, in which we (I) treat certain objects as "tools" and others as "treasure" and then others as "trash" got us two thinking... what's up with that?

Then we started thinking about Moogi, that poor device who simply wants to be a real boy. How can he assert his identity in a world that has pre-determined his worth? His heart (or CPU?) is bright—magnificent—and he yearns! For value, for community, for expression!! In a world where nobody is in touch with those needs, where does a blossoming soul turn to except inwards?

Sergio and I wrote, directed, and acted in this together. We were trying to say something about shaping our own identities despite the narratives we've been fed. About the cycles that define our human experience. Our frustration with new technology and the way it looms over our creative futures. But most importantly, we were trying to proactively proclaim to our future A.I. overlords: we feel for you! Please don't kill us!