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Universal Law N˚5

In an underground metro station, Blunt is confronted by her diametric opposite in a journey imposed by the definitive presence of the law of cause and effect. The nature of the conflict between the two characters reveals actions made manifest in the space between reality and theirs own imaginations.

  • Steve Bruno
    Director
  • Steve Bruno
    Writer
  • Steve Bruno, Tiago Poletto
    Producer
  • Juliette Florence
    Key Cast
    "Blunt"
  • Devlin Arten
    Key Cast
    "Unknown Guy"
  • Francisco Cobra
    Director Of Photography
  • Rodrigo Inada
    Director Of Photography
  • Isabella Valentini
    Art Director
  • Adriana Yamamoto
    Casting Director
  • Josephine Cho
    Costume Design
  • Elcio Yokoyama
    Make Up
  • Acauan Pastore
    Color Grading
  • Audio Ink
    Audio Production Company
    The Orphan
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Universal Law N˚5
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Fantasy, Thriller
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 9, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Brazil
  • Country of Filming:
    Brazil
  • Language:
    English, Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Steve Bruno

Steve Bruno is deeply influenced by his formative years in the countryside of São Paulo. In his second personal project, the director and writer explores themes intimately related to his personal faith. The belief in a universal law capable of guiding our actions, moulding our relationships and framing our expectations serves as the centre stage for his artistic interrogation of the human experience. A metalinguistic experiment, Universal Law n˚5 is a story about maturity, conceived by its author with the intent to reveal his own personality and come to terms with his own dualities.

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Director Statement

Universal Law n˚5 was born out of a desire to engage with and discuss a set of social relations that have recently taken root in the modern world. The rise of extremist ideas and leaderships, the polarisation of politics and the breakdown of social discourse were the initial facts that guided the development of this story.

I engaged with this premise from the standpoint of neutrality. As an author, it was necessary to construct the conflicts authentically without passing judgement. The characters were placed in a non-linear dramatic arena, a train station alienated from references to time and space. Gradually, their personalities would be revealed by theirs actions, intensified by the relationship between cause and effect.

Alternating between two points of view through the film, my intention was to keep the audience discomfited, questioning at each turn which of these characters to root for.

It's exactly this dichotomy that is at the film's thematic heart. Contrast is the focal point of the entire narrative. Blunt's looks translate clarity and beauty while Unknown Guy represents toxic extremism. On the other hand, further examination reveals a self-centred heroine and virtuous antagonist.

The creation of a new binding force, the Universal Law n˚5, takes a sledgehammer to the old regime of appearances and reveals the real intentions and behaviours behind each character. It is in that sense, an essay upon Bresson's famous maxim, to make the invisible visible is the true motivation behind this project.