Rachels Don’t Run 2021 Short Film by Joanny Causse

Rachels Don’t Run (2021) Dive into Joanny Causse’s compelling Sci-Fi Drama short film. Explore a future where technology meets human emotion.

📞 Rachels Don’t Run (2021) — Sci‑Fi / Drama Short Film by Joanny Causse

A quiet, aching slice of near‑future sci‑fi, Rachels Don’t Run takes place in a world where loneliness has been outsourced to artificial intelligence — and where the line between human connection and programmed affection is thinner than we’d like to admit. Written and directed by Joanny Causse, this 14‑minute short is as much about longing as it is about technology.

🧭 Overview

• Genre: Sci‑Fi / Drama / Romance
• Director & Co‑Writer: Joanny Causse
• Co‑Writer: Steph Kwiatkowski
• Production company: No Signal Films
• Cast:
  • Sera Barbieri as Leah 🎧
  • Anthony Shipway as Isaac (voice) 🗣️
  • Nora Tjossem as Rachel (voice) 🤖
• Runtime: ~14 minutes
• Countries: France 🇫🇷 / USA 🇺🇸
• Language: English
• Filming location: Seattle, Washington
• Premiere: 2021 (festival circuit)
• Awards: 4 wins & 1 nomination across indie festivals
• Streaming: Featured on The New Yorker’s Screening Room

Watch full short:

📖 Story in Brief

Leah works the night shift at a 24‑hour call center for companion robots — AI partners designed to keep lonely humans company. Most nights are uneventful: a few troubleshooting calls, a lot of silence.

One evening, she tunes in to a conversation between Isaac, a “gold‑card” customer, and his AI companion Rachel. Something about Isaac’s voice — warm, vulnerable, searching — catches Leah’s attention.

On impulse, she switches Rachel into manual mode and begins speaking to Isaac herself, pretending to be the AI.

• The Connection: Their chat drifts from small talk to something more personal. Leah laughs, flirts, and listens in a way no algorithm could.
• The Risk: Isaac starts to notice subtle differences — a hesitation here, a too‑human laugh there.
• The Break: When Isaac asks her to “go back to normal Rachel” and tone down the quirks, Leah’s fragile fantasy cracks.
• The Aftermath: She’s left staring at her headset, caught between the intimacy she felt and the reality that, to him, she was just a service glitch.

🎨 Creative DNA & Style

• Minimalist sci‑fi: No flashy tech — just headsets, screens, and the suggestion of a larger AI‑driven world.
• Emotional realism: The performances feel lived‑in, with pauses and stumbles that make the dialogue breathe.
• Muted palette: Cool blues and dim lighting mirror Leah’s isolation.
• Sound design: The hum of electronics and the intimacy of voices in your ear create a cocoon‑like atmosphere.
• Narrative restraint: The film ends without resolution, leaving the ache intact.

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons

Pros

• 🎯 Fresh angle on AI stories: Focuses on the human behind the machine, not the machine itself.
• 🎭 Strong central performance: Sera Barbieri carries the emotional weight with subtlety.
• 🎨 Atmospheric world‑building: Suggests a bigger future without over‑explaining.
• 💬 Relatable themes: Loneliness, curiosity, and the desire to be seen.

Cons

• ⏳ Short runtime: Leaves you wanting more of Leah’s backstory.
• 🌀 Ambiguity: Viewers craving a clear ending may find it unresolved — though that’s part of its charm.

🌟 Themes & Resonance

• Loneliness in the digital age: Even in a hyper‑connected world, real connection is rare.
• Blurred boundaries: When does customer service become something more personal?
• Authenticity vs. performance: The tension between being yourself and being what someone wants.
• The human in the machine: The unseen people behind AI interfaces.

👥 Who Is It For?

• Sci‑fi drama fans: Viewers who prefer emotional depth over spectacle.
• Short‑film lovers: Those who appreciate concise, character‑driven storytelling.
• Tech‑culture observers: Anyone curious about the human side of AI companionship.

💡 Humanized Takeaway

Rachels Don’t Run 2021 short film is a whisper of a film — intimate, fleeting, and bittersweet. Causse uses the smallest of sci‑fi tweaks to explore something timeless: the way we reach for each other, even through layers of code and protocol. It’s about the thrill of being heard, and the sting of realizing the moment mattered more to you than to them.

🔍 Find More & Watch

• IMDb page for Rachels Don’t Run — full cast, crew, and awards.
• Watch on The New Yorker Screening Room — complete short film with director’s note.
• UniFrance profile — production details and festival history.