In 'SUBSTRATUM,' I consider how environment, upbringing, and the presence or absence of empathetic role models can mould an individual's actions and beliefs. This short film explores a young boy's isolated existence surrounded by messages of power, control, and violence, setting the stage for an examination of the nature of dictatorships and the hereditary passing down of harmful ideologies. The film's only female character emerges as a silent beacon of... see more