Cracked is a passion project for Jessica Rizk. She directed, wrote, produced, animated, and worked on the sound for the 4-minute and 55-second short. Her helping hand on the project came in the form of Soren Anderson, who also worked on the sound design and composed the score.
The story begins with kitchen lights flickering. Then a completely nude woman comes in and cooks two eggs and makes coffee. She then sits down to enjoy her breakfast. But the lights quickly flicker again. As she keeps missing the plate, the lady becomes more distressed. Are her frustrations purely from her lack of food, or is there something bigger going on within the unnamed female that is causing her such disquieting discomfort?
“…the lights quickly flicker again. As she keeps missing the plate, the lady becomes more distressed.”
Cracked is hard to fully explain without giving it all away. However, by the conclusion, the message Rizk wishes to convey is fully realized and makes sense to all who watch it. Themes of self-identification, self-acceptance, and possibly even overcoming guilt (no spoilers!) come forth as the credits begin to roll. There’s a real power to the last image of the short film proper.
The striking black-and-white animation is really impressive. The way the filmmaker uses the total darkness to move the single scene along is as economical as it is creative. Once the more surreal elements take hold, the movie has already gripped audiences through the sheer impressiveness of its craft.
Cracked runs just under 5 minutes long. That is all the time the director needs to impart a deeply thought-out message that everyone can relate to, no matter how they identify. If this is what Rizk can accomplish in such a brief running time, imagine how impactful a full feature from her could be?
Cracked screened at the 2026 Dances with Films New York.
"…there's a real power to the last image..."
