DERECK FROM HINGE, 7min., USA
Directed by Jeff Rones
Fresh off a breakup, a young millennial tries her luck on a popular dating app with a gen z.
Get to know the filmmaker:
As a single twenty-seven-year-old in 2024, I am no stranger to dating apps. Unfortunately, what dating apps promise is a far cry from what they achieve for the people on them. I wanted to channel my frustration into something relatable. Although studies on the impact of mental health and self-esteem from dating apps are out there, active dialogue on how these apps are affecting the users is few and far between. I hope that my film builds awareness on what we actually seek from swiping away our loneliness. Perhaps the commodification of building connection and romance is not actually in our best interest. My hope is that this film allows the audience to dig deeper and laugh at the ridiculousness that is dating apps.
Another aspect that I wanted to incorporate was the generational gap between millennials and generation z. As someone on the cusp of these generations, I find myself caught in the middle. I might frequently use “puppers” to describe cute dogs like Madison, or find myself caught up on TikTok like Dereck, although maybe not on a first date. There is much humor to be found in this dissonance. I believe there are deep issues that both generations find themselves in, but I know the film can only scrape the surface. These issues include a reckoning with the pervasiveness of social media, a worsening housing market, social isolation of a pandemic, and a rapidly changing climate. I hope that my film can start these conversations between generations to reach some common ground.
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