Private Project

Aphasia

After the world has come to an end, a lonely survivor fights off his infection and finds hope in an unexpected encounter.

  • Michael Klepacki
    Director
  • Michael Klepacki
    Writer
  • Eduardo Saenz Cano
    Producer
  • Tyler Hill
    Producer
  • Erin Cantrell
    Producer
  • Ryan Ayd
    Key Cast
    "The Boy"
  • Nicole Smith
    Key Cast
    "The Girl"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 9, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.00:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Michael Klepacki

Michael Klepacki is a filmmaker newly based in Los Angeles. He has had a passion for telling stories as long as he can remember, and discovered the unique magic of film in early high school. APHASIA is his third short film. His previous film, DAY TRIPPERS, won Best Actor and was selected for the Best Of Screening at the 2018 Albuquerque 48 Hour Film Festival. APRIL IN OCTOBER, a microfilm, took second place in a contest held by director Felix Alcala. Commercially, Michael has been commissioned by Albuquerque-based artist Zuavé to make music videos for L.I.F.E. and HIT YOU WHRE IT HURTS. Michael hopes to keep making short films for the next couple years before diving into the world of features.

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Director Statement

Aphasia is two stories. It is the journey of one lonely, broken soul desparately seeking connection after civilization has crumbled, one last attempt to reach out — until it isn’t. It quickly becomes a story about survival, told from another perspective. 


For the director and producers, key to APHASIA was tone. Finding and refining that tone was a process that carried Michael, Tyler, Eduardo, and Erin from the earliest days of development to the late stages of post-production. Post-apocalyptic zombie films have been done before. Love stories have been before. Even zombie love stories weren’t new! But they were determined to set APHASIA apart with the way it made you feel. 


Instrumental to this tone was the pacing in the edit, and Nathan Fox’s gorgeous score. A few rounds of temp tracks in post-production led the filmmakers to an old-timey, romanticized soundscape. This added an essence of timelessness to the film, as well as a sweetness that allowed the ending to land with even more impact and dark humor.


APHASIA was a labor of love about love itself, loneliness, and painful reality.