Recalling 1930s Betty Boop classics with its animation, the hypnotic Pitch Black Panacea uses an experimental eye treatment as a launching pad for a surreal character study. Intimate yet absurd, the short predicts a style Thomas Hardiman would later explore in his debut feature, Medusa Deluxe.

Set to pulsing electronic music, Thomas Hardiman’s short experiments with the audibility of onscreen dialogue and accompanying captions to present a unique, energizing take on a meet-cute romance. Among the film’s noted fans is Lynne Ramsay, who programmed it for a series of “electric shorts.”