Uriah Plays the Alien
From the Archives
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Sci-Fi, Short Films, 09-Jan-2023
An alien comes to Earth landing in an ordinary American backyard. Or so goes the game of imagination that a group of siblings think up and play out. Stephen Wardell directs “Uriah Plays the Alien,” a vastly original piece of avant-garde filmmaking observed in a dream-like haze of childhood creativity. As the alien, Uriah is under close analysis by a handful of younger siblings. They try to make sense of its appearance, its diet, its movements, and its purpose. They imagine the alien must have come from a planet where grass is purple and plants have faces. But that doesn’t answer all the questions they have for it. An outsider experiment and an exploration of identity, the film creates an intriguing set of images and soundscapes from its one-of-a-kind pacing and tone. -KA. Director: Stephen Wardell. Cast: Uriah Wardell, Katelin Wardell, Ana Wardell, Julian Wardell, Levi Wardell. Director of Photography and Editor: Stephen Wardell.
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