Several months after its announcement, it's finally here: "Papers, Please - The Short Film", the short film based on one of the best indie games, is now available for free with Spanish subtitles. Glory to Arstotzka!
The Game Behind the Film
Papers, Please is not only one of the best games of the decade but also has the ability to entertain us and make us feel like horrible human beings at the same time. As an immigration inspector, we must allow or deny entry to people in our authoritarian, fictional nation of Arstotzka, changing their lives and ours forever.
This successful game caught the attention of two Russian filmmakers, Liliya Tkach and Nikita Ordynskiy of Kinodom Productions, who set to work on a live-action short film based on Papers, Please. After several months since its announcement, it's finally available for you to watch: "Papers, Please - The Short Film".
About the Short Film
"Papers, Please - The Short Film" stars Igor Savochkin (a Russian actor you've surely seen in the films Night Watch and Day Watch) as the immigration inspector. As in the game, the plot takes place entirely at the border checkpoint of Grestin and references the fictional community of Arstotzka. From visuals to sound, this short film captures the relentlessly bleak and heartbreaking atmosphere of a game that determines who enters the communist state of Arstotzka by inspecting the documents of newcomers.
"This is an independent short based on an independent game," says Ordynskiy.
It has the full support of the game's creator, Lucas Pope, who, according to Nikita, has participated in everything from script to production.
The short film is about ten minutes long and is available on YouTube and Steam for free, with original Russian audio and twenty-two subtitles (including Spanish). And if you haven't played this gem yet, take advantage of the fact that Papers, Please is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and PlayStation Vita.
