Released today on Gunpowder and Sky’s science fiction YouTube channel Dust, “Fempire” is not a simple “what if the roles were reversed?” exercise, though it’s likely no accident that this quasi-dystopian vision takes place in Texas. Dystopia isn’t an adequate term; it reduces the nuances that writer/director Honora Talbott (“We Know Where You Live”) weaves throughout.
After World War III, women took over to rebuild, and men have been… medicated. In order to win an election, though, a presidential candidate has to at least seem happily married to a man. Luckily, there’s a service for that.
Full disclosure: I donated money toward the production of this film. Since first encountering their work, I have been nothing but a fan of Honora and her partner Bill Posley, who co-stars in this short with Shukri B. Abdi. They’re both smart, vital writers and directors and I love their work together and individually. I suspect, though I don’t know, that Honora has a Fempire feature in her head. This short works well on its own, but there are seeds for more. Enjoy!
