In the race to make money in the explosion of 'Artificial Intelligence', several start-up companies have created digital avatars of dead people for use by their loved ones, so that they can 'talk with them' after their deaths. Eternal You explores the consequences of turning the mortality of life into a simulation and a product. Joshua chats day and night with a digital 'clone' of his deceased first girlfriend, sharing his daily life with the computer. Christi just wants confirmation that her deceased best friend is doing well in heaven, but has a harrowing experience with the AI counterpart. Jang Ji-Sung meets the Virtual Reality 'clone' of her deceased seven-year-old daughter, with mixed results. Like the other major technology companies of our time, the inventors of these services reject any responsibility for the profound psychological consequences of these experiences.
American philosopher Elbert Hubbard was fond of quoting his father on friendship. "When you die," his father would tell him, "if you've got five real friends, you've had a great life." Five Friends is the story of how one man sought to live that life. Shot from the mountains of Southern California to the New England coastline, the film follows 65-year-old Hank Mandel and his five closest friends as they navigate and reflect on success, conflict, marriage, divorce, fatherhood, children, and dying. From touching moments and humour, to horrific tragedy and darkness, Five Friends provides an exploration of the emotional lives of men and what they're capable of when they dare to open up with one another.