The employees of a cult-like biotech start-up test their product on themselves. “Aquaculture”, written and directed by Artemis Shaw, is a (slightly) sci-fi satire about the grandiose vision of a quietly eccentric entrepreneur; freely mixing absurdity and sincerity, it’s a strangely engrossing film filled with mystery and restraint. Charlotte (played by “Madeline’s Madeline” director, Josephine Decker) is the CEO and chief evangelist of Aquaculture, a small tech company set on changing the world with its new drug allowing humans to remain underwater for extended periods of time. Stationed in a remote laboratory, she leads a group preparing for an underwater endurance test, where they will shoot a pitch video in hopes of attracting additional investment. The impending experiment uncovers tensions in the group, particularly with Elsie (Nicole Chaffin) who is struggling with negative thoughts. Behind the company’s hyperbolic mission statement (“I want to offer humanity a homecoming”), there’s a sense of unease surrounding the whole endeavor and certainly no guarantees of its safety. Punctuated by bursts of old-time songs and ominous giant rolling balls, Shaw’s film is a delightfully off-kilter glimpse at the inner workings of a highly questionable new idea. Written and directed by Artemis Shaw. Starring Josephine Decker, Nicole Chaffin, Abigail Wahl and Jacob Nichols. Produced by Paz Mendez Hodes. Cinematography by Ines Gowland. Production Design by Cynthia Talmadge. Music by Yair Elazar Glotman. Edited by Anna Alekhina.