Short film

cataclysm.begins: The Catalyst

2025 · 4 min

A brief, urgent burst of dystopian tension, carrying grief and defiance in equal measure before it cuts off.

Tagline: /ˈkadləst/ a person or thing that provokes or precipitates an event.
Overview: Queer twins of a deceased political figure become the unwanted face/scapegoat for a rebellion against a government that threatens to take their basic human rights to build their false utopia.
How it feels: Tense, dark, earnest and melancholic. Brisk and needs your attention.
About: Identity, rebellion, politics, grief
Content: Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: tensestrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: identity
rebellion
politics
grief
family
Places: big city
Era: near-future
Audience: teen
Form: serialised
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

No streaming, rental or purchase options are known in the US.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Genres: drama, science fiction
Directed by: Katherine Filaseta
Written by: Katherine Filaseta, Sarah Beim
Starring: Ami Sheth, Aria Martinez, Amiere A. Bell, Cristina Obando Sanchez, Sam Vukic, Madison Cu, Alicia Harwell, Julian Huerta
Cinematography: Caroline Stucky
Runtime: 4 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English