Experiencing Interruptions?

Quantum Suicide (Suicidio Cuántico)

A reclusive physicist builds a particle accelerator in his garage and embarks on a quest to understand the nature of reality. In the process of his experiments he suffers radiation poisoning, loses his vision and alienates his partner, who eventually leaves him. But in his obsession he finds clarity and the key to understanding our reality. There is one final test he must perform.

  • Andrew Rogerson
    Key Cast
    "Cayman"
  • Kate Totten
    Key Cast
    "Genevieve"
  • Kennedy Montano
    Key Cast
    "Emily"
  • Gerrit Van Woudenberg
    Director
  • Gerrit Van Woudenberg
    Writer
  • Shane Morgan
    Producer
  • Gerrit Van Woudenberg
    Producer
  • Casey Bramall
    Director of Photography
  • Rafael Ceppetelli
    Production Designer
  • Eric A. F. Jacobsen
    Art Director
  • Mark Lazeski
    Original Score
  • Frank Faugno
    Sound Supervisor
  • Joel LeLievre
    Visual Effects
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller, Fantastic, Mystery
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 27 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 28, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    75,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    80:33
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Popcorn Frights International Film Festival
    Miami, FL
    United States
    August 13, 2023
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Leo Awards
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada
    Nomination – Best Picture Editing in a Motion Picture
  • Leo Awards
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada
    Nomination – Best Sound in a Motion Picture
  • Les Utopiales, Festival international de Science-Fiction
    Nantes
    France
    November 2, 2023
    European Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Morbido Fest
    Mexico City
    Mexico
    November 9, 2023
    Latin American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • San Francisco Independent Film Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    February 10, 2024
    California Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Philip K Dick Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    April 6, 2024
    New York Premiere
    Winner – Best Sci Fi Feature
  • Chattanooga Film Festival
    Chattanooga, Tennessee
    United States
    June 21, 2024
    Tennessee Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Film Invasion Los Angeles
    Los Angeles
    United States
    June 19, 2024
    Los Angeles Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Blood Sweat Honey
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
  • Buffalo 8
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Gerrit Van Woudenberg

Gerrit Van Woudenberg is an independent filmmaker based out of Vancouver, Canada. After studying film at the University of British of Columbia and graduating from the Art Institute of Vancouver, Gerrit wrote and directed short films before moving into roles as a director and editor in commercials and corporate work. Gerrit’s professional career led him to found a digital agency and into the role of CTO at a data science startup.

Gerrit’s current focus is on the release of his directorial-debut feature film as well as the development of three other pieces of original IP. As a writer and storyteller Gerrit’s interest lies at the intersection of human psychology, storytelling theory and science. Thematically Gerrit’s work explores both the granular experience of the singular being and the impacts and interactions of the collective billions of individuals over geological time.

Gerrit has been watching episodes of Star Trek religiously since he was 3 years old.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

There is a thought experiment in quantum mechanics called quantum suicide. The experimenter literally places their life on the line – the thing they are testing is whether they will live or die. They run the test over and over, like Russian roulette, again and again. The experiment is based on a particular interpretation of quantum mechanics: the many-worlds interpretation. They say that if many-worlds is true, the experimenter will always live.

Now a thought experiment is to be attempted in thought only, but I wanted to tell this story. What would drive someone to commit quantum suicide? What would they need to know to be true about our reality? What type of person, with what type of ethics? And what are the consequences, for them and those around them?

This is not a story about invented science, it must be underpinned by the body of human knowledge – this is a story that explores how the universe actually works. In researching this project, I discovered that in surveys of professional quantum physicists, when asked about the various interpretations of quantum mechanics, the majority believe the leading candidate theory is the many-worlds interpretation (on which the quantum suicide narrative is built). The questions we explore here are not just narrative in nature, they are also explorations of fundamental cosmological and existential questions key to the workings of the universe and our place within it.

There are profound questions to be answered about the nature of reality and its relationship to consciousness that are not normally explored – in daily life, in what we read, in what we watch. These are some of the most important ideas we could contemplate, and yet we spend our lives treading on the surface, forgetting to look at the marvels underneath.