Shorts Bay

Paradise tells the story of a man whose actions are controlled by fate, who is forced to follow a predetermined path. Lacking free will, John Small looks to a better tomorrow, but fails to find fulfillment in the present.

We are inside a machine. Cogs spin and a giant automaton whirrs to life, impossibly large; it is an impossibly large metallic, mid-century city, whose painted tin denizens buzz happily and obediently along slotted tracks. This is Paradise.

Here, in a brightly and cheerfully coloured suburban home, we meet John Small. He’s an optimistic, ambitious little man dedicated to the future, to success in his career. John is absorbed in his work and his daily routine and blissfully oblivious of his lonely and disillusioned wife, Jane.
As his perfect little life unravels, John remains obstinate and focused on his goals. But John is misguided in his efforts, unable to realize the value of what he has and what he stands to lose. Happiness eludes him.

Directed by Jesse Rosensweet / Canada / 2007