In the past, the purpose of technology was to meet human needs more efficiently. From the invention of the wheel to transport goods, to refrigerators that keep our food and drinks fresh, and the telephone that enables quick communication over long distances. However, the meaning of the word “technology” seems to have evolved today. It has shifted from addressing human needs to fulfilling human wants, with most tech companies clearly realizing that they could capitalize profit from these trends. This idea became the basis for Barcelona-based director Pol Diggler to create his latest short film, Sincopat (2023).
The MFW10 Programmer’s Choice nominated film centers around the latest technological revolution, “Narval,” which allows users to listen to music directly in their brains instead of using earphones or headphones. As the creative executive behind the device, Ona truly believed that the device could be a game changer (perhaps also driven by financial reasons). Shamelessly showing it off to the people at a bar in its breathtaking one-take, an example of a marketing tactic companies use these days to generate hype and capitalize on the feeling of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
The latter especially has played an integral role in the success of product sales. Take Apple’s best-selling device, the iPhone, for example. Despite being released every single year, there have not been any major significant changes in the latest models. However, last year, ET Telecom reported that in Mumbai, India, the iPhone15 Pro models sold out in a few hours after its release. This is another feat for the Apple company, but it also shows the nature of human desire to satisfy their psychological need to be dominant; in this case, being the first to experience the new product.
But what happens when an early adopter of the product encounters its flaws? This is the concept that Pol Diggler uses as the main conflict of the story. Ona soon discovers a malfunction in the device, where the music endlessly loops on a section—an error that ultimately changes her life forever.
As Ona experiences her downfall, this is the moment where Diggler’s technical direction truly shines. Effectively using an immersive sound design by looping the song section repeatedly to create an anxiety-induced experience but also simultaneously moves the story forward; a feat that is rarely seen in short filmmaking of “hear-don’t-tell”. Aided by Núria Florensa’s complex performance as a woman trying to keep her sanity intact, Sincopat wastes no time to suck the audience into an intense (or perhaps painful) experience. However, the 11-minute short offers more than meets the eye, with a storytelling structure based on Kübler-Ross’ stages of grief–denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance–powerfully delivering the filmmaker’s intent.
Matching with the chapters’ title, after seeing the tormented Ona battling with denial and anger, in Chapter Three we see her bargaining with the device’s developer to postpone the product’s launch until they can sort it out. The team developer’s response is heartbreaking but unsurprising; they reject Ona’s request in order to satisfy the company’s investors and shareholders. A phenomenon that isn’t too far-fetched given how many occurrences had this actually happened in our reality.
The notorious case of Samsung Galaxy Note 7, is a prime example, where hundreds reported incidents of their phone catching fire. One article even stated that the phone explosion caused a man to be hospitalized due to acute bronchitis from toxic smoke inhalation. What was worse–in the same interview–it was revealed that the victim inadvertently received a message from Samsung representatives that read: “Just now got this. I can try and slow him down if we think it will matter, or we just let him do what he keeps threatening to do and see if he does it.” (The Verge, 2016). Without any compensation (but a threat) from the company, it became a price that the consumer had to pay. Severely impacting our well-being that could closely be examined in Sincopat’s next chapter: Depression.
In the book On Death and Dying (1969), Kübler-Ross describes the ‘Depression’ stage as the emptiness that subjects feel when they finally grasp the thing they love is gone or over. In Sincopat, Ona tries to cope by dancing to the bar music like she used to, only to realize the hopelessness of never to get to hear again. As she slowly withdraws from society, she pushes people away. It is interesting to note that this stage is divided into two sections, using the word ‘Depression’ for both chapters that breaks Kübler-Ross stages of grief convention.
The choice was clearly Diggler’s intention to emphasize how technology changes individuals and society into the feeling of prolonged helplessness. Psychologist Kathy Kington from the University of Utah published an article on how society’s over-reliance on technology sees an increase in an individual’s anxiety, social isolation and lower self-esteem. However, we seemingly can’t detach ourselves from modern technology such as our smartphones due to the convenience it offers and the functionality which has become a necessity these days. Eventually, much like how Ona decided to “mute” all the sound in her brain to ignore her problems, we simply accept the fact that we can’t live without technology even when we know it is often the source of the problem.
As the closing sequence shows Ona dancing again at the bar in complete silence, an epiphany of fear hits me. Realizing how society’s overdependence on modern technology made us blind to the ways tech companies and developers exploit our curiosity and FOMO for profit. It raises the question: What are these companies truly striving for—noble innovation, or simply our money?
Perhaps like most of the audience watching Sincopat, I was initially captivated by Pol Diggler’s impressive technical direction. Yet, it is a film that wasn’t meant to be taken for granted, as it highlights events that could easily happen—or have already happened— to us as consumers. It serves as both a cautionary tale for the public as well as a warning to all the companies, reminding them of the consequences of their carelessness.
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