PumpUp!© (2022)

‘PumpUp’ is an absurdist short film that speculates on a future financed by PumpCoins. Set in 2140 London, all traditional forms of currency have been phased out, crypto dominates the financial sector. The only way to “mine” such coins is by playing alluring play-to-earn arcade games, from the comfort of their own homes. Exploring themes of worker autonomy, be-your-own-boss culture and the ‘bullshit jobs’ phenomenon, the film follows the working days of James and Adrian, exposing the mechanisms of an exceedingly unstable play-to-earn economy.