A man finds a red cord hanging incongruously from the sky. Immediately, we are presented with a choice as an obvious temptation becomes apparent. Should he pull it? He plays with the cord, swings it, and finally pulls it. All the lights go out and the sky darkens: it becomes night, the houses around him become dark. Unable to quite believe it, the man pulls it again and again, switching between day and night, exerting a sense of power over his natural surroundings. However, he pulls too hard, and the cord comes undone, tumbling from the sky into a pile at his feet, leaving the world plunged in darkness. This strange live action film shows the myriad of emotions that take hold of the man as he goes through this experience: confusion, suspicion, play, empowerment, and finally, devastation and alarm. Young people aged 12-15 years old will connect with the themes of empowerment and disempowerment implicated by his discovery of the cord and its eventual malfunction. The premise of the film uses very simple editing techniques between day and night, hence offering an interesting way for viewers to consider film techniques which can be emulated in the creation of their own cultural artefacts. The film provides a compelling way to consider a reality in which small actions can have big consequences.
