IL FUTURO PERDUTO  
dir. Matthias Müller 

The Lost Future is a fresh, experimental short film shot on 16mm where the filmmaker forgoes narrative storytelling to deliver a sensory experience. The film straddles the line between an art installation and a music video, sidestepping traditional conventions to pose existential questions about identity, perception, and the future.

The simple act of a man walking through a door is provocative. Repetitive editing asks the viewer to question the perception of the everyday, a visceral jolt of curiosity signalling that this is no ordinary film.

The pared-back, percussive electronic beats cleverly contrast and align with the visuals. Sound punctuates the imagery with precision, amplifying the shifting tones. In one sequence, the man plays a piano, but the sounds we hear are electronic beats—a choice that reflects the film's inventive spirit.

The grungy, natural, observational aesthetic—achieved through the tactile texture of 16mmfilm— complements the film's raw, avant-garde tone. Graphics are employed sparingly but effectively, adding layers of visual intrigue. These elements combine to create a fresh and unapologetically experimental work.

Editing plays a pivotal role in The Lost Future. Repetition destabilizes the viewer. Scenes are intercut and revisited in a way that forces us to reexamine them, as though peeling back layers of meaning. This technique ensures that we never settle into a rhythm, continually prompting new interpretations of the simple acts on display: walking through a door, smoking a cigarette,riding a bike, or making music.

Though some of the actions depicted are banal, their arrangement—paired with evocative sound and imagery—imbues them with depth. Unease and play - two opposing feelings we don't usually pair together spark throughout.

The ending is ambiguous. It leaves the viewer with questions such as "What was that?" "Who am I?" "And what is life?" It doesn't offer a resolution, instead leaving us in a state of curiosity.

The filmmaker has produced something unique with contrasting imagery, music, and percussive editing. It's a work that doesn't try to explain itself but asks the viewer to interpret and feel. For those willing to embrace its art-house sensibilities, The Lost Future offers a mind-altering experience.