So… I already highlighted Barry Jenkins’ contribution, as well A. Sayeeda Clarke’s, both debuted in previous weeks. Here’s another noteworthy film by a filmmaker of the ITVS Futurestates collective, which I completely missed, and which I thank the filmmaker, Kimi Takesue, for alerting me to.

The film is titled That Which Once Was, which made its debut yesterday, April 18th. The trailer for it follows below.

Once again, the Futurestates program comprises of a series of 11 short films by up-and-coming filmmakers, commissioned by ITVS that explore “possible future scenarios through the prism of today’s global realities.”

Each episode presents a different vision of American society in the not-too-distant future, by each filmmaker (or as ITVS calls them, “Independent Prognosticators“) – using speculative fiction to explore social issues on film.

Thus far, I’ve been been impressed with those I’ve seen, and champion the program’s efforts!

The full synopsis for That Which Once Was reads:

In the year 2032, Vicente, an 8-year-old Caribbean boy, has been displaced by global warming and fends for himself as an environmental refugee in a hostile Northern metropolis. Orphaned and without connection to family or friends, Vicente now lives in a children’s shelter on the fringes of the city, and struggles with anxiety, rage, and disturbing memories of the tragedy he fled. On a hot summer day, Vicente sits outside the shelter and sees a mysterious man smashing large chunks of ice against the pavement. Thus begins an unexpected friendship between Vicente and Siku, the ice carver: two people from different worlds who have both experienced tremendous loss. Through their bond, Siku ultimately helps Vicente confront his past and understand the value of memory.

As with all the others I’ve profiled, the film is beautifully shot, and well-acted. And you can watch it right now if you’d like; so click HERE for Kimi’s That Which Once Was.

Check out the trailer below: