Sword and Shield – Concept Short Film – Final Version

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

Our story begins in the year 2052.

Humans have colonized Earth’s Moon, and started traveling to distant planets outside of our solar system. As spacecrafts are bringing back materials from other worlds, the Moon colony declares independence from Earth.

Enraged that Moon inhabitants, many of whom were born on Earth, are breaking away from their planetary roots, war is threatened by the International Earth and Space Military. The Moon colonists are unable to withstand the onslaught, and a significant portion of the Moon is destroyed.

Meanwhile, chemical-engineers in Northeast Asia begin using the materials they find from other planets to create chemical weapons. In their arrogance, their creations become out of control. The explosion destroys most of Northeast Asia, and covering the area on the edge of the blast range in a thick magenta cloud.

Anyone exposed directly to this cloud dies within minutes. Many humans who indirectly exposed die within several days. Those who do not perish, awaken as though nothing has happened.

These survivors develop strange skills, finding themselves able to melt their bodies into water, invoke pain on anyone they touch, or hypnotize someone else by singing.

Governments in this region become afraid of these people, and in some cases, rightfully so. But the fear turns into hatred, and an effort to find, capture and murder any superpowered humans.

To escape death, they seek refuge in what is now known as Dead Daegu, South Korea.

Gong Minji, under the alias „Pounds“, joins forces with several others who share her ability of super-human strength. They protect the defenseless, and guard people from the military that is trying to capture them.

Min Yoongi, reborn with the water-kinesis ability, stays close to the Nakdong River. He sends a broadcast on a private radio channel every morning, calling out to anyone with ability to come meet with him. He chants that he will be their sword and their shield.

Yoongi knows of Pounds and her efforts, but the elusiveness of her group prevent him from finding her. He is too fearful to venture deeper into the city and risk leaving the safety of the river. He starts to lose hope, while his anxiety takes over.

Kim Seokjin, once a man of wealth, is now an outcast. He has no money, no resources, and no one to protect him from harm. He happens upon Yoongi’s broadcast, and goes to the river to find him. What he witnesses is Yoongi leaping from the top of a bridge and diving into the water completely unharmed.

Yoongi surfaces and sees Seokjin watching him. He cautiously walks onto the bank and says to him, „I will be your sword.“

Seokjin replies, „I will be your shield.“

After exchanging names, Yoongi wants to know what Seokjin can do. His new ally demonstrates his ability to manipulate weather, and creates a small snow flurry. Yoongi grins because he knows, this is the beginning of something special.

Feeling a little bit safer with a friend at his side, Yoongi starts entering the city. Maybe he can finally find Pounds. Instead, his reasons for staying at the river come to life when superpowered thugs try to overpower them both.

The pair are beaten badly despite trying their hardest to fight back. One of the members of Pounds‘ group, comes across the scene and uses her destructive scream to save them. Banshee brings them to Pounds‘ hideaway.

For a while Pounds and her group unite with Seokjin and Yoongi. They travel outside of Dead Daegu and attempt to help people who are not superpowered. They are desperate to change public perception of them, to absolve the fear.

Almost everyone in Pounds‘ group is picked off one by one. They are captured, and either murdered or experimented on. The remaining members want nothing more to do with the effort and go their separate ways to evade death. Seeing that their mission is futile, Pounds and the other three descend back into Dead Daegu.

Yoongi goes back to Nakdong. He starts sending broadcasts again. Seokjin, Banshee and Pounds eventually follow him.

More superpowered humans come. They form an alliance, and create a new hideaway inside an abandoned building.

All but one. She watches from a distance, observing how this powered group functions each day. She debates with herself about joining, or killing them all, she really isn’t sure.

Her body begins to change. Her jet black hair rapidly grows. It turns white. She loses weight, but doesn’t feel unhealthy. Just a lot less human than she was before. Kind of like she is made of the energy from Hell itself.

Perhaps she is Hell. Perhaps Earth is Hell. Or should become Hell. As the world’s only surviving Hellcaster, she feels it’s her duty to at least give it a try.