"If a human kisses a human, it's love or sex. If an A.I. kisses another A.I., it's a performance. If a human kisses a robot, it's an experiment, but the sad thing is, aren't they all experiments?"

With the intersection of racism, homophobia, and sexism we've become familiar with a world of inequity. Jesse Pickett's short film Reformat offers a refreshing take on the harrowing reality with an open letter to his audience about the cost of discrimination captured through a sci-fi lens. 

Pickett's artistry has always demonstrated a careful eye for captivating stories without shying away from heavy issues. In his short Umbrageous (2016), a discovery of a gun and a dead body found by children shines a light on the harmful effect of gun violence on today's youth. In the short Dogs (2018) and Jalopy (2021), we see profound visual metaphors that explore the subject of elderly abuse through the treatment of an animal and the aging body as a breaking down car ready to be discarded. In the director's first feature-length film Blue Hour, Pickett highlights the dangers of toxic masculinity and shines a light on the value of mental health through the eyes of a young man in rural Alberta wanting to become a writer.

After its initial release in several international festivals, the feature film landed the director a nomination for the B.C. Film and Television Industry's Leo Award. With his newfound recognition, Pickett's dedication and passion for advocacy in cinematography awarded the director a grant from the BC Art Council to produce Reformat. 

While Reformat is much shorter than Blue Hour (with a total running time of 16 minutes), it immerses viewers into its world– transporting us to an alternate reality that both humans and A.I. occupy. While it's not explicitly addressed how this future came to be, it's assumed that successful A.I. technology prompted the government to begin to invite A.I. into society.

Through subtle interactions and explicit dialogue it becomes clear that this introduction is met with prejudice. Despite looking exactly human, they are not the same as people. Throughout the film they refer often to A.I.’s as an “it”, while those who demonstrate any amicable relationship are subtly implied to be outcasts by association.  

Based in a high school, the story follows the investigation into the murder of an A.I. student, Henry, played by Gabriel Covarrubias. The film builds tension through found footage recovered from Henry's software along with police interviews with those who knew Henry.  This stylistic choice invites audiences to uncover the truth along with its characters in a buildup of suspense.

Language heavily reflects the nature and tone of the film. Whether it's through the interview with Yelizaveta, another A.I. who carefully follows the expectation of what A.I.’s are to humans, Toni and Juli; who are both romantically linked with Henry, or Toni’s partner David; who dislikes A.I.’s. Pickett’s perceptive understanding of human interactions brings a realistic delivery matched with the outstanding cast that delivers tension, sadness and heart-filled scenes.

The short’s true impact, however, lies in the artistry and advocacy of the craft and how the theme of discrimination is reflected in its casting of minority groups. Those who can see themselves on the screen and relate to the experiences of feeling outcasted and mistreated are immediately heard and understood. Pickett’s understanding of visibility was a testament to how closely he listens and just how important representation is in the film industry altogether.  

While there is still plenty of work that needs to be done, films such as Reformat offer enough relatability to our world that provide audiences with a deeper understanding of how we as a society act towards one another and those of the BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ++ community. This short film is a tragic story that says so much in a world not so far off from our own.

Reformat premiered this summer. You can follow @muskratpassproductions for updates about fall film festival screenings.

Allison Shields (she/her) is a latinx Creative Writing student at KPU. She currently resides on the ancestral and unceded territories of thexʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people. Her work has been featured in The Lyre Magazine and the I Like Your Dress podcast. In her past-time, you can find her outside, at her desk writing or listening to memoir audio-books in the shower.