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Metahumans are digital copies of real humans or humans that only exist in the digital world. They are not born, they do not die, and they function like game avatars without consciousness.
Many metahumans are developed to replace real humans online, functioning as representatives, models, actors, influencers, and more.
As the desire for perfection transfers into digital space, unrealistic standards can become even more extreme because metahumans are not dependent on reality and often have no original to refer to.
The First Metahuman is a social commentary on the growing dichotomy between the increasing pressure placed on humans and the proliferation of digital counterparts. It asks whether we will need to compete with metahumans in the future.
Credits
- Writer and director: Axl Le
- Producer: Ingvild Friis Bjerkeli
- Music and SFX: Box of Toys Audio
- CGI artist: Axl Le
- 2D design: Axl Le & Jeffrey Wang
- Consultant editing: Odin Norum Kvistad, NFK
Selections
- Official Selection — Animac (Lleida, ES, 2024)
- Official Selection — Fredrikstad Animation Festival (Fredrikstad, NO, 2024)
- Official Selection — Anima (Brussels, BE, 2024)
- Finalist — Minimalen Short Film (Trondheim, NO, 2024)
- Shortlisted — Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Tokyo, JP, 2024)
- Shortlisted — HiShorts! Xiamen Short Film Festival (Xiamen, CN, 2024)
Screening / Installation
- Installation View: Exhibition - Rear Window & Real Wonder; Curated by Fei Jun; Exhibition documentation courtesy of HOW Art Museum, 2025.
- Film Screening: Anima Film Festival, Brussels, Belgium; 2023.
- Film Screening: Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Fredrikstad Kino, Norway; 2023.
- Film Screening: Mediafabrikken – Nytt Kort project, Vega Scene, Oslo, Norway; 2023.
