‘Protozoa’: Darren Aronofsky’s bizarre student film
Although modern cinema has been a victim of rapid commodification, Darren Aronofsky is among the few auteurs who have remained true to their artistic vision. The director of uncompromisingly challenging works such as Pi and The Wrestler, Aronofsky isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of the cinematic medium.
During his formative years, Aronofsky was deeply influenced by biology and even worked as a field biologist in Kenya as well as Alaska. While looking back on his early experiences, the acclaimed filmmaker has always maintained that his exposure to biology and his time at The School for Field Studies in Kenya completely changed his worldview.
This academic trajectory remained embedded in Aronofsky’s mind throughout his undergraduate years at Harvard, where he studied social anthropology alongside filmmaking. However, his real development as a director would begin with his entry into the highly prestigious AFI Conservatory.
Although a lot of young filmmakers show promise through their student films, the Aronofsky short we are talking about isn’t an example of that. If anything, this bizarre 1993 student film should inspire aspiring directors to go out there and start filming because that’s the only way to improve. That’s clearly what Aronofsky did to get where he is today.
Titled Protozoa, the film focuses on the slacker culture of the 1990s and follows two young men – Dave and Pete – who spend their days harassing disabled kids in their neighbourhood. In many ways, Protozoa anticipates Kevin Smith’s Clerks (which would come out the year after) and explores a similar existential void.
Set in a bleak industrial landscape, Aronofsky’s short tackles interesting themes such as media manipulation and addiction through Biblical allegories and urban anecdotes. Frustrated with the monotony of their routine, Dave wants to get out of there and travel the world, but Pete insists that the search for truth is a journey through time and not space.
During a conversation with The Talks, Aronofsky revealed that he wants to go back to the comedies he made as a student. The director said: “A bunch of my student films were comedies, so I would love to. But I don’t know… for some reason I keep making these dark movies, I don’t know why.”
Aronofsky added: “Yeah, it is quite often that there is something about a story that I connect to and that makes me want to continue that heavy lifting. You know, each of my projects is kind of a marathon run. A lot of them won’t make it to the finish line and the only reason they make it is because I go back and nurture them and try to figure everything out.”
Of course, Aronofsky never really went back to Protozoa, but it has obviously remained an important part of his life. For starters, he named his production company – Protozoa Pictures – after it. Not just that, the central concerns of Protozoa have continued to haunt Aronofsky as he has forged ahead with new projects – the latest one being The Whale.
In addition to the conceptually fascinating examinations of modernity and its infinite addictions, Protozoa is also notable for another reason. It features a young Lucy Liu as Ari, an ironically passive critic of the slacker philosophy. For Aronofsky’s fans, this 1993 student film is proof of one thing and one thing alone – how far he has come.
Watch Aronofsky’s Protozoa below.
