Five Minutes Before the End of The World
From the Archives
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08-Apr-2019
Set in a near future which may or may not be experiencing the end of the world, a group of young people gather around a trendy Swedish coffee shop. “Five Minutes Before the End of the World,” is a roaming portrait, directed by Kevin Luna, unsettling in its depiction of the laissez faire attitude of its characters going about their daily lives as ominous sirens and jet planes blare above. (Q: “Where do you think they’re headed?” A: “I don’t really care.”) After casually strolling into work, a cafe barista explains to a customer who’s been patiently waiting that they aren’t serving sandwiches or cappuccinos because that’s not the “concept” of the month. Surrounding them are a coterie of hipsters lying on yoga mats, casually discussing films or celebrity chefs, in a state of detachment or obliviousness, who can’t be bothered by the dire signs around them. The portrayal of near future shows subtle changes — everyone wears AR glasses; cars drive themselves — but it’s not really a dystopian prediction, as much as it is a satire on the modern world with slightly tweaked settings. And the foreboding remains open for interpretation. Is it the end of the world, or does it just feel like it? (Luna discusses here). Perhaps we’re focused on a class of people sheltered from the more immediate problems of those in vulnerable life positions. Or perhaps it’s coming for us all, and we just can’t hear the signs.
Directed by Kevin Luna. Starring: Tind Soneby, Simon Varchi Andersson, My Sandström, Jack Hagerman, Peter Larsson, Karl Sundberg. Cinematographer: Joshua Aylett. Digital Effects: Sam Shea. Producer: Salad Hilowle.
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