Becoming Human
(Fantasy Short- 5 min /to be released in 2021)
Embarking on a transformative journey, three women find themselves at a critical juncture, compelled to embrace their authentic selves after years of self-criticism and concealed truths.
This fantasy drama intricately weaves themes of humanity, equality, and the pursuit of self-acceptance.
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written & directed by Natalie MacMahon
Director’s Statement:
"Becoming Human" questions whether a human being can actually ever be "normal" or even “perfect” at all. We all have flaws, secrets, instincts, desires we are trying to suppress, but eventually they will come out- whether we like it or not.
What is normal anyway?
And is it worth it, trying to fit in at all costs?
This film focuses on twins, who never met, as their mother abandoned one of them, when she sensed that one of her babies's might not be "normal". Both of them have been struggling in their lives in very different ways and always felt a void to a certain extent.
In this world, in the near future, it’s possible to sue one’s parents for being born and a mysterious apology line promises that people can make up for their sins, once they confessed publicly.
It's time for the truth. FINALLY! WHAT A RELIEF!
Maybe they get to embrace their uniqueness after all…?
FESTIVALS:
Chetham-Kent International Film Festival 2021- PREMIERE
Veracruz World Film Festival 2021
Anatolia International Film Festival 2021
Oudeis International Film Festival 2021
Newcastle International Short Film Festival 2022
Sandgrounder International Short Film Festival 2022
Alternative Film Festival (Canada) 2021- AWARD BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI SHORT
Stockholm City Film Festival 2022
Luleå International Film Festival 2022
Das Filmfest (Oregon, USA) 2022
Underground International Film Festival (UGIFF) 2023
Ceylon International Film Festival - “Becoming Human” 2023 - Honorable Mention -
Audience Feedback:
“A powerful short about breaking free from who we were told to be.”
“Part fantasy, part soul-search. “Becoming Human” shows the power of embracing your full self, flaws and all.”
“This film doesn’t just tell a story, it opens a wound, then gently shows you how it heals.”
“It’s not about becoming perfect, it’s about becoming whole. And this film captures that beautifully.”
“A luminous short that peels back the masks we wear to survive. “
“IT’S GETTING DARKER EVERY DAY”
Sinister SCI-FI DRAMA/ 5MIN/ 2017
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY NATALIE MACMAHON
In a world deprived of light, a young woman, accustomed to dwelling in darkness for years, counts down the moments until she sees daylight again.
alternatieve logline:
In a future where daylight is a rare and coveted privilege, a young woman prepares to step into the sun for the first time in years—only to discover that the weight of hope can be just as overwhelming as the darkness she’s leaving behind.
For Alina, a hardworking young woman, the day has arrived when she feels like she's hit the jackpot—a chance to escape the darkness for a full day. As she anticipates the beginning of her adventure, conflicting emotions make her question whether this experience, promising to alter her life, will bring ultimate joy or if continuing without it might be better.
Festival participations:
Miami Independent Film Festival 2017
Spotlight Short Film Awards 2017 (Silver Award Winner)
Influx Magazine Film Awards 2017 (Finalist)
Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest 2017
Palena Film Festival 2017
Hollywood Verge Awards 2017
Canada Shorts Film Festival 2017- Award of distinction
North American Film Awards 2017- Silver Award
Hamilton Film Festival 2018
Festival Azyl Slovakia 2019
Fotogenia Film Festival (Mexico City) 2019
Audience Feedback:
“A haunting premise: light as luxury, hope as burden. Subtle and powerful at the same time.”
“Stunning in its simplicity. It’s not about the light, it’s about what it means to finally step into it.”
“The suspense wasn’t about action, it was emotional. The fear of feeling again.”
“A powerful reflection on how hope can be just as terrifying as despair. Minimal, elegant, and emotionally sharp.”
“A soft, aching film about what we do with the chance to feel alive again.”
“This film captures that quiet, impossible moment before change.”
“Loved how it sat in the uncertainty. No big effects, just raw, emotional truth.”
“Hope can be heavy too. This short understands that completely.”
Longer synopsis:
In a not-so-distant future where light has become a luxury, most of the world lives in perpetual darkness, cut off from the sun, from nature, from the very idea of clarity and warmth. In this shadowed world, Alina, a quiet and diligent young woman, has endured years of life underground, adapting to the absence of light as if it were normal. But today is different.
Today, Alina has been chosen. By a lottery - or fate? She’s been granted something most can only dream of: one full day in the sunlight. A single day to feel the sun on her skin, to see the world not in shades of grey but in full, blinding colour. It should be the happiest day of her life. It should feel like salvation.
And yet, as she sits in her modest room waiting to be collected, Alina is filled not with joy, but with doubt. What will it feel like to leave the darkness behind, even for a moment? Can a single day in the light truly be worth the emotional cost—of knowing what you’re missing, of having to return to the void? Is it better to never know what you're missing, or to have it and lose it forever?
Told with quiet tension and emotional precision, "It’s Getting Darker Every Day" is a haunting meditation on hope, fear, and the human capacity to long for something brighter. This short captures the fragile, suspended moment before change, where everything is still possible and unbearably uncertain.
Minimalist in style, yet rich in meaning, this short film invites viewers to sit with discomfort, to confront the fear that even hope can hurt, and to ask themselves: When you’ve adapted to the dark, what does the light really mean?
