In Henry Chebaane’s short film That Time is Now, Doctor Wokozi (Marion Githegi) arrives in the present from the year 2060, a time when Earth is on the brink of total collapse. She is the creator of Quantex AI, a technology designed to reverse humanity’s destruction, but every attempt to complete her mission has failed. That mission is to convince one man, Professor Seva (Bhasker Patel), to return with her to the future. On each trip back, there are fewer people in the past, and this is her last chance to prevent total extinction.
Meanwhile, Professor Seva, living in a polluted present full of environmental decay, is bitter and disillusioned. He has been actively avoiding Wokozi’s attempts to find him. He sees the use of Quantex in the future as the latest shortcut taken by a generation unwilling to do the hands-on hard work of healing the planet.
Running at a brisk six minutes, That Time is Now is primarily the set-up for what appears to be a bigger story. To me, it’s a battle between science and nature, as humanity is destined to rely on artificial intelligence to solve an ecological disaster, when maybe the answer has been in nature all along. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between.
Bhasker Patel as Professor Seva, confronting the consequences of humanity’s choices in That Time is Now.
“…this is her last chance to prevent total extinction.”
Filmmaker Chebaane impressively builds a world—despite an indie budget—that allows you to believe this crisis could actually exist. He uses practical elements to enhance the physical sets he built, resulting in a grounded yet futuristic world of the near future.
My only qualm is with the short story’s format. It sets up the problem without giving us an answer. I’ve seen enough science fiction to know that answers are always scarce, and it’s the journey in our mind that’s most important.
That Time is Now concludes with a sobering reminder that change often requires sacrifice, and not everyone is willing to pay the price. Writer/director Henry Chebaane challenges us to reflect on our own responsibility in shaping a better world—before it’s too late.
For screening information for That Time is Now, visit the Supanova Media official website.
"…Change often requires sacrifice."
