Experiencing Interruptions?

The Mole

Corporate climber Angie, affected by a disfiguring condition, is hired by The Global Corporation. Offered the professional opportunity of a lifetime, she faces an existential dilemma. Will she accept her physical appearance, or immolate herself on the altar of perfection and corporate success?

  • Ambrose Smoke
    Director
  • Ambrose Smoke
    Writer
  • Ambrose Smoke
    Producer
  • Lauren Engels
    Key Cast
    "Angie"
  • Jonathon Sawdon
    Key Cast
    "The Boss"
  • Benita Katende
    Key Cast
    "Becca"
  • Paula Isiegas
    Key Cast
    "Laura"
  • Iván Gordillo
    Key Cast
    "HR Manager"
  • Stefan Sattler
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Kranz"
  • Clovis Kasanda
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Katanga"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 15, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    Belgium
  • Country of Filming:
    Belgium
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ambrose Smoke

I am a self-taught writer, producer, director and music composer. Film-making is my passion. My storytelling is inspired by the need to inquire, from a micro perspective, the determinants of human existence.

"The Mole" is my first short film, which I wrote, produced, directed and scored.

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Director Statement

What truly defines us in our increasingly image-based societies? Our inner self, the beautiful complexity of the human mind, or the non-verbal communication through our outer shell? As we spend most of our lives in the workplace, professional and social interaction raises fundamental questions about the essence of human experience.

Is self-acceptance possible without social acceptance? What is the role of appearance in the workplace? How important is gender in our professional lives? You will not find the answers in "The Mole". But, hopefully, "The Mole" may raise some questions.

"The Mole" explores the dilemma faced by young corporate executive Angie, dealing with a disfiguring condition as she climbs her way up the career ladder. Angie is a living contradiction. A grain of sand in a well-oiled machine. She is not in control of her physical appearance. In a cut-throat corporate world, she is vulnerable to unfair competition. But she does not question the rules of the game (“It’s the beauty of the market, baby! You pursue your self-interest, everyone is better off!”). On the contrary, she has fully embraced them. How can you “think outside the box” if you have been in the box for so long, for your whole existence, that you cannot even see the box?

My goal with “The Mole” was to create a story that holds universal value and relevance for the competition-based societies we live in. I wanted to test the limits of our societal rule book, and take them to their most extreme consequences. To possibly instill in the viewer a grain of doubt.