On a dark night, deep in the New Zealand Forest an Alien Woman is abandoned. She is not alone, her dying son is left with her. The Alien Mother sacrifces her life for her sons, giving him the last of her energy, and alone the Alien boy ventures into a small town semi-rural human settlement where he explores the world he fnds.
A Human Woman breaks the spell when she calls the Alien into her kitchen. Revealing him as her son, a Human boy named Brains - a boy living in a mad world of neglect and abuse. After fearing for his life Brains contacts his Alien Family up in space, telling them he will light a beacon so they will know where to fnd him. That night as the Humans sleep Brains’ sets the house on fire. Rushing outside he waits for his Alien Family to pick him up, but no one comes.
A few days later a party is held for Brains’ father who has returned from hospital after suffering burns in the fre. As the party rages Brains takes off and climbs an old barn at the back of the house, refusing the calls of his drunk mother. Up on the roof the crazy human world fades as Brains’ looks up into a magnifcent night sky and is flled with wonder and the possibility of a better life.
DIRECTORS STATEMENT
Human Beings are story makers; it seems to be hardwired into our nature. Stories and the power of our imagination have helped us make sense of a world full of chaos, suffering and the unknown - to fnd a sense of belonging and security.
In UFO, 8 year-old Brains, lives in a reality of neglect and abuse. He transcends his grim situation through his imagination and is gifted a life lived in a larger universe than those around him; alive in a world that holds limitless possibilities. However there is a karma that comes with the inability to be present with reality, an alienation that can lead to suffering and extract a deadly price. My aim was to create a cinematic experience that holds this contradiction, a visceral experience that engages both our minds and hearts and takes us on a unique journey into the world of a brave and creative 8 year-old boy.
