Babble

Description

In a futuristic metropolis, Ernesto works for Babble Communications Corporation on the construction site of Babble’s new “Central Tower”. Harnessing the power of Babble Towers in each District, the Central Tower promises uninterrupted citywide signal. One night, Ernesto’s mundane life is disrupted; a lightning strike cripples his District’s Babble control tower. Free from the influence of the tower, Ernesto begins to question the true nature of his world. On his way to work, Ernesto over-hears a preacher, who attributes newfound clarity to the tower's malfunction igniting in the crowd gathered, and Ernesto, the spirit of rebellion. At the construction site, Ernesto is led into the tower's restricted area by "Agent X” to repair cabling using his unique skill-set. As Ernesto works, he uncovers Babble's dark secret: the towers’ signals are designed to subdue the population into total compliance. Terrified, Ernesto looks to use Babble’s communication network against itself to expose the truth, as more agents close in. But just as he's about to unveil Babble's plan, a city-wide lightning storm disrupts all the towers, plunging the metropolis into chaos. The people, freed from Babble's control, rise against the corporation. But what is the cost of freedom?

Biblical Connection

In the Biblical narrative of the Tower of Babel (TOB) described in Genesis 11:5-6, humanity\'s collective ambition to build a tower to reach the heavens led to divine intervention, resulting in the confusion of languages and the dispersion of people across the Earth. Our film, Babble, looks to adapt the TOB story into a new sci-fi epic rooted in the TOB’s timeless themes which include: the consequences of centralised power and unchecked ambition, as well as the potential for individual awakening and resistance in the face of oppressive control. We looked to stay as close to the key narrative beats of the TOB narrative in the construction of our story, but were keen for Ernesto to have an individual emotional journey that felt like a distillation of the core themes. Ernesto’s navigation of technologically-advanced world is something I think we can all identify with. Sometimes we can feel like faceless parts of a machine rather than people in our own right. This film looks to champion individualism whilst acknowledging human limitation and the need to live in accordance with nature. We must fight for the world we want, though that world may not come easily.