Every shade of white is so overwhelming it could blind a person, and the sterile corridors are utterly silent. In this underground city, where cold codes have replaced names, life flows silently to the mechanical rhythm of the machines. In his first foray into science fiction, George Lucas traps the audience in a claustrophobic future. The masses, drugged by pills distributed by the state, are nothing more than a labor force under the watchful eye of a totalitarian regime. THX 1138, an ordinary technician, begins to see through the fog in his mind when he stops taking his daily dose. As he rediscovers his suppressed human emotions and the sense of touch, the cold cogs of the system—which it believed to be flawless—begin to creak. This awakening, triggered by a forbidden encounter, drags him into a harrowing struggle for escape, surrounded by robotic police and surveillance cameras. The mechanical sounds echoing in the background serve as a constant reminder of just how far freedom truly lies.

2 wins & 3 nominations total