Short Film

Origins of LENINA

Lenina Crowne and her character arc in Brave New World is symbolic of the struggle between the individual and societal conditioning. She is raised to follow the World State’s strict guidelines for behavior, relationships, and thought. Lenina is beautiful, desirable, and dedicated to her work. Yet beneath the surface, she wrestles deeply with what it means to be human- feeling emotions and instincts that clash with the larger rigid system she is part of.

Lenina’s personal tragedy is her yearning for deeper connections, notably in her feelings toward Bernard Marx and later John the Savage (also both extremely interesting characters because of their respective personal rebellions). She experiences moments of doubt and confusion, such as when she desires exclusivity with Bernard, which contradicts the World State’s norm of casual, non-monogamous relationships. The society in Brave New World ensures that individuals like Lenina remain dependent on soma (a drug used to escape all negative feelings) and shallow pleasures, reinforcing superficial connections and preventing the exploration of genuine freedom. The World State creates a paradox: it promises stability and happiness, but at the cost of individuality and the authentic experience of love, passion, pain, and personal choice. 

Doubt, confusion, and lack of control are the scope of personal freedom in her world. The map to freedom remain unclear to Lenina and her heart sinks as she realizes she cannot ever really be free. Lenina’s moments of inner conflict illustrate the painful reality of living in a system where true freedom is impossible.

I wanted LENINA to represent the very human wrestling match taking place in between our ears- marked by intermittent moments of doubt, fear, and sadness. We walk with LENINA as if lost in a dark wood like Dante. Discovering a stone, LENINA has a transcendental experience, meeting THE GOD. Upon waking, the stone is gone and she has been wounded by THE BUREAUCRAT. With LENINA, I wanted to pose eternal questions; How free do you want to be? How in control are we in our pursuit of freedom?