The human species enslaved, massacred, and tortured in macabre experiments. The planet Earth ravaged and violated by a brutal terraforming process. Small pockets of resistance doing what they can to eat, fight, and live. And in the middle... a story in development. A different way of making films, or maybe television? Rakka is a strange project that questions even its own format. Neill Blomkamp knows this, and in an attempt to distinguish himself from a market saturated with sequels and remakes, he chose the Web as his distribution medium. So far, the result is quite solid...
The Oats Studios Experiment
Neill Blomkamp announced that he would start a new project called Oats Studios, focused on experimental short films, and the world gave him its attention. Many critics believe the director's work hit its ceiling with District 9, and that everything since has been downhill, but if there is one thing we must concede to him, it's that he tries to do things differently. The big question is whether he manages to reflect that in Rakka, the studio's first product. The short is available on Steam, and those who prefer the YouTube version can watch it here (there are Spanish subtitles):
A Terrifying Alien Invasion
The story takes us to the year 2020. Humanity has been conquered and enslaved by an extraterrestrial species with reptilian characteristics that Blomkamp called in an interview "Klum". The cruelty of the Klum is disturbing: vivisections, forced fusion between organic and artificial material, humans used as incubators, the list goes on. The Klum also initiated a terrible terraforming process, burning forests, polluting seas, and eliminating oxygen from the atmosphere. The first impression is that the Klum master organic technology, but Blomkamp explained that it is ferrofluid composed of nanomachines. Another critical detail is that the Klum are not as free as they appear. There is a third power in the equation, which closely monitors Earth's situation and sent the Klum in the first place.
The Future of the Experiment
Rakka shares several elements with Blomkamp's previous works, placing oppression above the rest. In District 9, it is from humans toward aliens. In Elysium, it is from rich to poor. And Rakka reverses the order of District 9, with much deeper savagery. As an experiment, Rakka can end here, continue through several additional episodes, or turn into a film. Blomkamp doesn't know, and neither do we. Everything will depend on the financial support this model receives. The Web responded very positively to Rakka, with special emphasis on the presence of Sigourney Weaver. Personally, I am intrigued and would like to see more.
