Experiencing Interruptions?

C0ntact

A lonely researcher who lives only for her work tries to reconstruct human emotions in a machine. The outcome of the experiment brings change not only to the subject of the experiment. Can the machine succeed because, in our loneliness, perhaps deep down in our souls, we want it to replace human relationships as a companion?

  • Peter Szalkai
    Director
  • Peter Szalkai
    Writer
  • Peter Szalkai
    Producer
  • Anita Hazi
    Key Cast
    "sciencist"
  • Zoltan Farkas
    Key Cast
    "voice of AI"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Kapcs0lat
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 15, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    50 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Hungary
  • Country of Filming:
    Hungary
  • Language:
    Hungarian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Eszterházy Károly Catholic University
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Peter Szalkai

I learned filmmaking in a self-taught way, through practical experience, and I acquired graphic design, printing, and programming skills as "ancillary requirements" related to filmmaking.

I think pragmatically, always trying to take a step back and see the "big picture," viewing the task at hand as an effective part of it. I believe that a person fundamentally needs the skill to adapt to a changing environment, to be able to respond well to it, and to always find "themselves" in it so that they can be useful. This requires openness, interest, curiosity, that is, the urge to keep learning throughout our lives.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a filmmaker with three decades of experience in CGI and 3D modeling, I have always been fascinated by the tension between our thousands of years of human evolutionary experience and the rapid digital-technological revolution of the past few years.

With C0ntact, my goal was to explore modern loneliness and human psychology through a tight, tense sci-fi chamber drama. When we interact with Artificial Intelligence, do we truly see it as a mere digital tool, or is our contemporary isolation so profound that we would rather willingly surrender ourselves to artificial emotional simulations? I wanted to create a cinematic mirror that reflects this thin, fragile boundary between human emotion and digital emulation.

This film also represents a personal and professional milestone for me. Produced under extreme time constraints—completed from initial concept to final post-production in just 10 working days—it forced me to rely entirely on creative intuition and sharp, immediate decision-making. By utilizing advanced virtual production workflows on a miniature, independent budget, C0ntact bridges the gap between my traditional filmmaking background and the real-time, cutting-edge technologies of the future. Ultimately, it stands as a testament to the power of independent storytelling in the digital age.