Metanoia

A breakthrough in psychological conditioning has enabled humans to control their worst inner impulses leading to a perfect society. This societal conditioning has come at the expense of dulling the senses of humans. Extreme emotions are no longer experienced and things like art, philosophy, and music serve no existential or sensory purpose. A young woman named Nova (Bailey Hubbs) seeks treatment as she begins to feel her conditioning unravel. Her symptoms reveal glimpses into the spectrum of the human experience that she has never felt before, leaving her terrified and confused but also curious and liberated. Enticed by these glimpses of her inner humanity, Nova is faced with a dangerous dilemma: receive treatment and return to her baseline, conditioned state, or venture alone into the unknown depths of the human psyche.

  • Aaron Ryan
    Director
  • Aaron Ryan
    Writer
  • Aaron Ryan
    Producer
  • Giovanna Wolney De Souza
    Co Producer
  • Bailey Hubbs
    Key Cast
    "Nova"
  • Can Bas
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Mason"
  • Giovanna Wolney de Souza
    Production Design
  • Aaron Ryan
    Sound Design
  • Aaron Ryan
    Editors
  • Giovanna Wolney de Souza
    Editors
  • Jonas Peschel
    Editors
  • Jonas Peschel
    Camera Operation
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Dystopia, Sci-fi, thriller
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 14 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 7, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    100 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Blackmagic Design
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Aaron Ryan

Aaron Ryan is a Berlin-based director from County Clare, Ireland. Born in October 1994, Aaron grew up in County Clare before moving to Berlin, Germany in 2017 to pursue moving image media by enrolling in the communication design course at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin. To date, Aaron has directed two short films and likes to engage with existential themes with narratives exploring the deepest aspects of the human condition. Aaron is currently building his body of work with the main career goal of directing a feature-length film for a major production company.

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Director Statement

As a director and writer, I have always been interested in what ultimately makes us human and exploring this through visual narrative.

The principal idea behind Metanoia was to explore what a utopian society could look like, and whether or not a utopia is even possible, as one's idea of a utopia could be a dystopia for another. I was inspired by this idea that social ills could be solved through conditioning, leading humanity to overcome its worst aspects as a means to achieve a perfect society. The ethical questions regarding this idea and also how human nature would exist and change as a result of this conditioning were the basis for building the narrative and world of Metanoia. This story follows a woman named Nova who, whilst experiencing the unravelling of her conditioning, manages to overcome it through exposure to music. Here I wanted her motivation to come from a deeply human experience such as music to transport her into the deepest reaches of her psyche reconnecting with her inner humanity.

Metanoia is intended as a cautionary tale, that as we move forward and begin to realise our idealised version of the future, we should aim to avoid division, authoritarian ideologies, pseudoscience, conspiracy, and disinformation offering false truths and grand visions of perfection. Instead, reflection on our own shortcomings, which reminds us that we live in a world of our own making, should also indicate that we have the power to change the world for the better.