Welcome to the return of Short Film Fridays, our weekly column exploring the wonderful art of the short film medium. This week’s short speaks to me in so many ways: A) As a recent fur-daddy, I love any story where the key component is a relationship with a dog; and, B) this film expands on that standard trope with a science-fiction edge, exploring the nature of being through the lens of an outdated household robot. Forgotten by its human counterparts, the robot seeks to belong by communicating with the family dog.

The film is directed by Courtney Marsh and her style in ZARI is something to watch with great attention. The camera work is almost voyeuristic at times and it generates the film’s captivating mood. And then there is the sound: there is next to little dialogue, and yet the film’s sound design is one of the short’s most exciting aspects.

Check out the short below:

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