In the short film, Up/Down, writer/director/star Michael Cooke plays John, who walks through a door into an ethereal world. It’s a waiting room of sorts, where people sit and wait until their name is called. After some time, John’s name is called, and he is met by a mysterious man (Hunter Bishop), who asks him a straightforward question: “Did you experience joy, and did you bring joy to others?”
It’s not hard to figure out that the waiting room is purgatory, and as they say, you can’t take it with you, so what criteria are we judged by when it’s all said and done? What are you chasing after, and what impact did you have on others? What are you chasing after, and what impact did you have on others?
Michael Cooke as John in Up/Down, walking through a mysterious purgatory-like space.
“It’s not hard to figure out that the waiting room is purgatory…”
Up/Down is certainly a thought-provoking short film, but the most intriguing aspect of the short film is the way he built his little purgatory using video effects and lighting. There is a sense that you’re in an underwater environment without water, where time moves at a slow and sluggish pace. Hunter Bishop also brings a grounded performance as the “angel” standing behind the Newton’s Cradle.
In the end, Up/Down leaves you reflecting on life’s simplest but most profound measures of worth. It’s a quiet reminder that the legacy we leave behind is found in the joy we experience and the joy we give to others.
"…leaves you reflecting on life’s simplest but most profound measures of worth."
