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Written and directed by Maggie Brennan, short animated film ‘Our Bed Is Green’ follows a lonely young woman called Cecily, seeking solace in virtual reality, even if the comfort it brings is far too fleeting.
The film opens with pulsing music and neon lights, as a girl dances with carefree energy. But it’s quickly revealed to be the protagonist Cecily scrolling through someone else’s social media video, captioned with the all-too-familiar line: “felt cute, might delete.” From there, Cecily visits a virtual reality facility where users can spend time with digitally crafted companions, avatars tailored to look like anyone they desire.
Cecily seems exhausted, lonely, and lays down with her digital companion for romantic comfort, it’s the same young woman from the video. The service allows her to live out her dreams, and the temporarily gratification she draws from it seems worth lying to her friends and delaying her real-life-plans.
The artwork in ‘Our Bed Is Green’ is colorful, it’s got a playful, retro touch to it, and reminded me of graphic novelist Daniel Clowes’ work, the creator of ‘Ghost World’, ‘Monica’, and ‘Patience’.
In the final moments, it’s revealed that Cecily personally knows the woman from the video, yet the film leaves it to the audience to speculate why she can’t pursue a relationship in real life. Is she closeted, was she rejected, or is the woman simply unavailable? The ambiguity is deliberate, and the answers remain anyone’s guess.
I am guessing the title ‘Our Bed Is Green’ is supposed to convey the idea that virtual reality can make ‘grass seem greener’ on our side too, since it allows users to achieve their desires. In under seven minutes, the short explores loneliness, queer longing, and fleeting escape found in virtual reality.
Watch ‘Our Bed Is Green’ on YouTube.
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