VESPER – a film by Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Samper – (limited spoilers)

Raffiella Chapman as Vesper

We first see her searching for root vegetables in the mud, but that is not her primary occupation. A year after her mother disappeared, thirteen-year-old Vesper (Raffiella Chapman) keeps herself busy by caring for her father (Darius, played by Richard Brake), a wounded veteran on life support. In her spare time she genetically engineers new and sometimes sentient species. “This is the first one I created,” she tells Camellia (Rosy McEwen), after rescuing her from the tendrils of several rogue species whose origins Vesper had nothing to do with. “He’s sulking because I haven’t been here for a few days. He’s not the best looking, but he has character.” She introduces her new friend to more of her creations and explains: “I’m still learning. The first ones didn’t even survive, or they killed each other, but I’m getting closer to the right assembly with each generation.” Continue reading →