There’s two features I look for in good sci-fi: 1. something I hadn’t imagined before and 2. something that anticipates the automobile, as well as the traffic jam. The YouTube gods smiled up me and surfaced a channel called DUST, a massive collection sci-fi short films. The quality is much better than what you might expect from “free sci-fi” but one of their films, The OceanMaker, is an absolute standout that raptured me and took me somewhere I’ve never been.

Extrapolating on the near future Water Wars, The OceanMaker is a beautiful animated film that imagines a world where humans fight over every drop of water — even clouds. The hero is a brave, young inventor with her heart set on changing the world with her invention. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the film captures the real world tension between selfish, exploitative “biggest wins” capitalism and the need to invest in science and technology, all inside a package filled with sorrow, hope, and dogfights.

I hope you enjoy it.