CAPTCHA (2022) Film still. Directed by Mathew Francis. Australia: Postglacial. 15 mins
Directed by Mathew Francis
Gallery 2
Friday 23 February - Sunday 17 March
Opening Thursday 22 February 2024, 6pm - 8pm
Split into three structured chapters which explore observation, intimacy and expressionism, CAPTCHA is a hypnotic audiovisual journey following an expressionless test subject as he seeks purpose in the mysterious facility he inhabits.
Screenwriter and Director Mathew Francis envisioned CAPTCHA as a film designed to offer viewers a continually evolving and personalized experience with each viewing. The core objective was to allow audience members to attribute varying cognitive and emotional significance to different elements, fostering individual perspectives. This is achieved through intentional choices, such as the creation of a characterless character, a recurring plot structure, and unfamiliar, symbolic locations. Every design decision reflects a search for escape from suffocating surroundings, including through the use of music, characters, cinematography, sound, and locations.
CAPTCHA's immersive experience hinges on a deliberately liminal atmosphere, mirroring the main characters' journey toward self-control and acceptance. Cinematographer Mathew Francis's recurring color motifs follow the linear progression of red-green-blue, symbolizing the pixel's RGB structure, serving as an analogical metaphor for progression. Production Design by Jean Pang echo these motifs across three chapters, with the red darkroom representing where film and thus ideas develop, the Greenhouse embodying organic growth within artificial confines, and the blue body of water in the climax signifying escape from a previously structured, oppressive world. Lachlan Kendall's Sound Design complements the film with an unyielding auditory landscape that mirrors CAPTCHA's overarching themes—progression versus regression, artificial versus natural.
Written in mid-2021 with partial input from primitive artificial intelligence, CAPTCHA predates the advent of more advanced chatbot software like ChatGPT by a full year. Against the backdrop of the subsequent Hollywood writers' strike, it stands as a poignant reflection on the swiftly evolving landscape of AI, underscoring the considerable advancements the technology has taken since its inception, and the accompanying anxiety it causes for practitioners within the industry.
Watch the Trailer
Written & Directed by Mathew Francis
Produced by Lachlan Kendall
Starring Ankush Singh Khanchi, Josephine Gazard & Sofia Kendall
Soundtrack by Adiari Ezekiel-Hart & Addy from Deep Place Records
Produced and Filmed in Canberra, Australia
About the creators
Postglacial, a small Canberra-based production company, was founded by husband-and-wife duo, Lachlan Kendall and Sofia Goncharova. Their overarching goal is to create captivating short narrative films that capture the enchanting ambiance of everyday locations. They achieve this by collaborating with a talented network of filmmakers and composers.
The core CAPTCHA team comprises Lachlan Kendall, Mathew Francis, Jean Pang, and Sofia Goncharova, all of whom are either current students or graduates of the University of Canberra. Their diverse backgrounds encompass art, photography, film production, psychology, and medical science. This eclectic mix of skills and perspectives enriches their creative process.
CAPTCHA originated as a graduate project in the University’s film production course. This film not only achieved success within the academic setting but also garnered further recognition on a larger stage, receiving acclaim at the prestigious Academy Award-qualifying 39th St Kilda Film Festival. CAPTCHA also secured the accolade for Best Sound at the 28th Canberra Short Film Festival and was a finalist in the 2023 Melbourne Cineverse Film Festival.
