A woman (Edmary Fuentes) wakes up and prepares to go about her day. After her husband leaves, she checks her phone messages, only for an abrasive signal to interrupt. When she calls back, there is no connection. The TV is likewise afflicted with a strange signal, only in this case it is showing a triangle image with a cross inside. The woman panics, as more begins to go wrong.
As Alejandro Hernández’s Alt is only six minutes long, to say much more would be to spoil the film entirely. It’s a film with an intriguing idea at its core, if not one that seems to offer much concrete context; the audience is left to do quite a bit of interpretation, and I can imagine some running wild with the option, while others just remaining confused.
I will admit to being slightly disengaged by its execution, though I completely understand the creative choices made. However, I did not connect with the piece beyond a superficial “well, that was interesting” level. I was curious about what was going on, but I never emotionally invested in an explanation.
I watched it again, however, and noticed the clues that exist throughout the film. The subtleties of certain interactions. It actually isn’t as ambiguous as it initially seems. The second viewing opened up the film to me, and I found the connection I lacked the first time through. I don’t know what your experience with the film might be, should you have the opportunity to see it, but if you find yourself a bit cold to the piece, consider giving it another watch. It’s short enough where that’s not that big an imposition.
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