Broken (informally known as The Broken Movie) is a 1993 short film/long form music video filmed and directed by Peter Christopherson, based on a scenario by Trent Reznor, the mastermind behind the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. The film is a companion piece to the band's 1992 EP Broken, featuring its songs and music and compiling its music videos. The movie, roughly 20 minutes in length, weaves Broken's four music videos together via a violent "snuff film" framing sequence, concluding with an otherwise unreleased video for the EP's final song "Gave Up," setting the conclusion of the film's frame story to the song. Due to its extremely graphic content, the Broken movie was never officially released (and likely never will be), but was leaked as a bootleg which became heavily traded on VHS in the 1990s, and more recently via the Internet.
Trent Reznor once said that the Broken movie "...makes 'Happiness in Slavery' look like a Disney movie", and while his comments about the movie have been cryptic at best, he makes no secret of the film's existence.
A group of friends make a trip south of the border. While having the time of their lives, one couple discovers that the world is much crueler than they would have like to have known. After having a car accident, Amy (Travis-Peterson) and Rob (North) are taken to a Mexican prison and tortured. Written by Daniel L. Holmes
A true tale of terrifying circumstances, when a surf trip across the Mexican border turns three day's into a lifetime of lessons. Rob McCardel (Nolan North), is a naive American whose innocence comes crashing down when faced with the country's infestation of political hatred. Then there is Angel (Daniel Zacapa), a Mexican ambulance driver who, on the surface, appears callus and indifferent. A gradual alchemy transpires between the two, warmly locating the human center on Angel, who gives up his way of life for the fundamental good, leaving us with the question as a society of how we got here, what are we doing about it now and where we are going. Written by Daniel L. Holmes
A Comedy Beyond Repair
Trent Reznor presents his dark vision of the EP 'Broken' by telling the story of a man kidnapped and forced to watch Nine Inch Nails videos, disturbing in their own right, while being tortured. Written by Alan Eisinger
After dating a wonderful man, Hope comes back home, sees her daughter Jennifer and goes to sleep. She wakes-up in the woods with a psychopath, fighting to survive for more than forty days and asking information about her daughter to the stranger. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Whether it's been just to survive or to empower himself, every day has been a fight for small-time boxer Luis Morales. Now after year of boxing, Luis' promoter Marcel and his trainer Gerecke are pressuring him to leave the ring. But for Luis, the choice is not that simple. He is haunted by the memory of his father who, having once been a proud Mexican wrestler of the Lucha Libre, had died a broken man, struggling as a day laborer to support his family and to live the American dream. For Luis, to stop fighting is to fail, something he is more terrified of than of death. To fight is to exist. Written by David Wendelman
A gun blast, a flash of light, and a young woman awakens to the comfort of her own bed. Bonnie Clayton has it all, a great relationship, a challenging career, and the burden of a dream that grows more vivid and disturbing with each passing night. But when Bonnie is abducted by a sadistic stranger and his colorful entourage, she discovers that the key to her survival lies within the familiar realms of her recurring dream. Written by Jorge F. Rodriguez
Ted's father hasn't spoken to him for 15 years. It is only after serious illness, that his father begins to speak to him again. "Broken" is the story of an ethnic family's 'dilemma' with having a gay son, now of middle age. It explores how an old school Macedonian family are struggling to come to terms with their son's sexuality. Written by Filmmaker
Twenty years ago, at the age of 8, Christian witnessed the murder/suicide of his parents. We pick up his story today - Christian, now 28, has turned his traumatic past into a creative well that he can dip into at any time to become a much sought after writer and artist. Unfortunately, due to his use of illegal drugs, he walks a fine line between sanity and madness that makes his grip on reality even more tenuous. Into his life comes Beth, the new assistant editor at the Detroit Underground, the local free press paper. Beth bears a striking resemblance to Christian's mother and when they meet for the first time the walls that Christian has built around his psyche begin to crumble. Added to the mix are Beth's abusive boyfriend, Mark, and her shy, lovesick coworker, John. When all of these characters' lives intersect because of their relationship with Beth, they affect each other in ways none of them could have suspected. Christian sees in Beth the hope for a normal life but is pushed over the edge because of a combination of events that all players have a hand in. Mark falls from grace in Beth's eyes to become what she fears the most. And John sees suicide as his only option. At the center of this is Beth, unknowing catalyst to the events that unfold. The death of one man, the loss of hope for another, and the eventual redemption of a third. Written by David DeLeon
Deep in the LA night HOPE confronts all the wrong turns she's made since leaving Ohio and ultimately meets the biggest wrong turn of all in her ex-boyfriend WILL, who's determined to win back her love or die trying. Written by Walk on the Beach Productions
Two young gay men are held hostage by a religious zealot who uses the sermons of prominent Evangelical Christians to inspire a twisted form of spiritual cleansing. Designed to look like a "snuff film", (unsteady camera, scratched footage, jump cuts) the viewer is brought into experiential proximity with a hate crime. The visual style blurs lines between fiction and reality, crafted narrative cinema and criminal home movie. Likewise, underlying themes question the blurred divides between religion and state, public and private space, social liberties and personal freedom. Written by styptic
A painfully funny short film by Paco Farias
Samantha (Maggie Rose Fleck) is an unassuming young woman, a volunteer counselor for victims of rape and sexual assault. Now, faced with one of her first clients (Suzanne Tsai), she finds herself tormented by the memory and effects of her own horrific experience. She struggles under the watchful eye of a callous nurse (Casey Kramer) who perceives Samantha's weakness and has little faith in her abilities. As the situation becomes personal for Samantha, her spirit is tested and the line between client and counselor is blurred. BROKEN is a study of emotional communication and how individuals must react differently for the sake of their own survival- and subsequent spiritual recovery. Written by Group Six Films
No matter how hard she tries, Monica can not befriend her pregnant neighbor Elizabeth. Beneath the icy veneer, Elizabeth's life spirals deeper into poverty and desperation. Dismissed by Monica's friend and fellow Christian believer Lianne, Elizabeth becomes fodder for idle speculation and judgmental disdain. Events escalate when Elizabeth's boyfriend Peter abandons her, moving her towards a dark and tragic end. Based on a Proverb and made in 168 hours for the 168 Hour Film Project, it's is a cautionary tale about the dangers of judgmental-ism, the power of prayer, and the need for Christians to exercise the transcendent love of God through His Spirit. Written by Anonymous
It's 1968 and 14 year old Chrystalla arrives in London to meet her father, Solomon after four years apart, only to find him cheating on her mother with an English woman. Jealous and upset, Chrystalla devises a plan to stop his philandering ways, with devastating consequences. Written by Anonymous
No one ever died of a broken heart.
On a busy street in London, Gina (Lena Headey) thinks she sees herself drive past in her own car. Stunned by this strange event, Gina follows the mystery woman up to her apartment. From here, events take an eerie turn for the worse until Gina's awareness slides from solid reality into a world that will haunt more than just her nightmares. Written by Lene Bausager
