½ Sprites
(15:31)This short film is set in a time when computer generated "sprites," who look and sound perfectly human, are commonly used as "actors" in movies. But the director of a film that has yet to start production is unconvinced that a sprite can do the job as well as a human actor. She auditions various sprites, who must do a reading of Kirk's eulogy scene from the end of The Wrath of Khan. Most of them leave her unimpressed, but to her surprise, a sprite named Jim forces her to reconsider her preconceived notions. Not just because of his performance of the scene, but because of the thoughts he expresses about it... and about the director's instructions, which intentionally make no sense. (She wasn't expecting a sprite to call her on that, but Jim does.) Anyway... I just think the film is a really interesting look at how emerging technology could surpass our expectations. (Which could be creepy or even scary in other contexts, but here it more sort of reminds me of the concept of "photonic rights" from certain episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.) And the reading from "The Wrath of Khan" is rather an inspired choice, in its recognition of the humanity of non-human individuals (whether Vulcan or sprite).