Private Project

Dissidence (2084)

In the year 2084, a government agent chooses to go without his mandated phone. This begins to open his eyes as he learns the consequences of speaking out against the surveillance state he is living in.

This film was completed on 01/01/19 and is a youth/student qualifying Sci-Fi. Shot at DePaul University by Matthew Brdlik (DOB: 07/17/1997).

Official Selection: Sci-Fi London International, Windy City International, Midwest Independent, Maine Student Film Fest, Premiere Film Festival, Bam! International, LTUE International, Dadasaheb Phalke International

Awards: MSFF: Best Male Lead

Nominations: MSFF: Best Writing, Best Editing. Premiere: Best Director, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography

  • Matthew Brdlik
    Director
  • Matthew Brdlik
    Writer
  • Matthew Brdlik
    Producer
  • David Neylon
    Key Cast
  • Teresa Moore
    Key Cast
  • Brad Davidson
    Key Cast
  • Jeff A. Smith
    Key Cast
  • Leonard Pagan
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 31, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Sci-Fi London International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 18, 2019
Director Biography - Matthew Brdlik

Matthew Brdlik is a filmmaker studying at DePaul University in Chicago Illinois. With diverse skills in various aspects of film such as Directing, Writing, Producing, and Editing across multiple mediums Narrative, Documentary, and Commercial, Matthew prides himself on learning as much about the craft of filmmaking as possible, in order to challenge his audience's perspective on important issues concerning society and reality.

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Director Statement

Dissidence (2084) was first inspired by my study abroad trip to Budapest Hungary. As I learned more about Hungarian history and culture, I was extremely fascinated by how fascism and communism affected Hungarian culture. In a period of 2 years 1/20 Hungarians were sent the the Russian Gulag for political crimes. Today, these horrors seem like the distant past. However, with the the rise of cellphones and other technologies perfect for surveillance use, Dissidence stands as a warning to the importance of freedom of privacy and free speech often traded for convenience and 'safety'. This film was carefully planned to not alienate modern day viewers with a world happening in the distant future, or a far away place as many Sci-Fi's traditionally do. This is because the ideas in this film have already started to become a reality in our society.