Mortal Coil - A Short Film by Bjarni Thor Haraldsson
Format: Short Film | Genre: Poetic Sci-Fi / Drama | Length: 10 min | Tone: Reflective, Dreamlike,
Emotionally Intimate, Ephemeral | Setting: Santa Fe Desert, A Mysterious Bureaucratic Outpost
Logline:
A man unknowingly lives his final day on Earth, guided by ritual and a mysterious summons that leads
him through grief, acceptance, and ultimately — transcendence.
Synopsis:
Mortal Coil is a meditative short film set in the quiet expanse of the New Mexico desert. We follow a man
who wakes into what seems like a normal day — but something feels off. A strange ringing in his ears, a
heightened awareness of time. Then, a slip of paper is slid under his door: a package awaits him at The
Department at 7:20 p.m.
What begins as a bureaucratic errand becomes a metaphysical odyssey. As he prepares and departs, his
actions are unusually precise — as if performing his own eulogy. Along the way, he confronts unresolved
emotions when he leaves a raw human voicemail, moving through the five stages of grief with startling
vulnerability.
At The Department — an otherworldly post office of sorts — he receives a small box labeled SPIRIT 21 .
With calm acceptance, knowing what he needs to do, walking to his car, opening it at sunset. A warm
orange light engulfs him. At this moment, he ascends. Not in agony, but in awe. Leaving his mortal coil.
The film ends where it began: the echo of a child laughing on a beach. A final breath. A flatline. Peace.
Vision:
Told with minimal dialogue, Mortal Coil blends visual poetry grounded in human emotion. Inspired by films
like Her , The Fountain , and A Ghost Story , it features slow, deliberate cinematography, a warm desert
palette, and tactile production design. Every frame invites the viewer inward — toward introspection,
surrender, and transcendence.
Why This Film:
Mortal Coil explores death not as tragedy, but as transformation, the last step of our journey. It resonates
across generations, offering audiences a contemplative, emotionally resonant space to reflect on life’s
impermanence. This is a film for festivals, for spiritual seekers, and for anyone who has wrestled with loss
and come out the other side changed.
Director's Note:
This is the most personal film I’ve ever written. It’s about surrendering control, finding beauty in grief, and
trusting what comes after.