This Short Film Vocalizes the Thoughts of a Man Falling 43,000 Feet

What would your last thoughts be?

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Whenever we come across a movie scene in which a character is about to plummet to his or her death, we can only turn to the actor's expression or final words to take a guess at his last thoughts. Director Campbell Hooper, however, has created a short film 43,000 Feet, which offers his own conjecture. The New Zealand Film Commission-funded nine-minute film follows the thoughts of a man who steps off an airplane halfway through the flight.

Though it may seem like a grim concept, 43,000 Feet actually prompts viewers to ponder something they ordinarily would not think about. Hooper's premise is that instead of experiencing the life-flashing-before-your-eyes train of thoughts (typically shown in many action flicks), free fallers might actually be much less emotional and more pragmatic. They might just worry about how much the impact is going to hurt or how much it may suck if they survive the fall.

At one point, the film's main character John Wilkins, who is a statistician, has calculated and deduced that it would take 3 minutes and 48 seconds for him to fall 43,000 feet. Interestingly, he lists several other activities like smoking a cigarette or having a quickie that would take the same amount of time.

All in all, 43,000 Feet places viewers in a situation we hopefully will never experience, while simultaneously proving a point that time unfolds differently depending on the situation.

43,000 Feet from Campbell Hooper on Vimeo.

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[via FastCoCreate]

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