Filmmaker Statement

The concept for Cold Runner originated when I stumbled across clips of official military test films from the 40s through the 60s. These films documented a range of physical and cognitive tests on soldiers dosed with various psychedelic compounds. Underneath the humorous chaos of the films, the tests spoke to a uniquely manufactured horror. I became interested in trying to describe these experiences from the inside out; how an enclosed and seemingly benign environment can become hostile and tear at the social fabric of a group of men. I began to see the story as a symbol of the general paranoia of the Cold War while also being a product of it. A story that follows a group of test subjects throughout the day as things went from good, to bad, to cosmically bad.