A Canvas of Dust and Lies
Three artists grapple with the past for a local exhibit, unearthing more than just inspiration amidst the summer heat and the town's forgotten corners.
# A Canvas of Dust and Lies
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
Commissioned to create a celebratory art exhibit, three artists in a decaying industrial town uncover a decades-old conspiracy of murder and erasure, forcing them to choose between fulfilling their lucrative contract and exposing a dangerous truth that could shatter their community.
## Themes
* **Truth vs. Narrative:** The conflict between historical fact and the curated, "uplifting" stories a community tells about itself to maintain order and power.
* **Artistic Integrity vs. Patronage:** The struggle between creating challenging, honest art and fulfilling the sanitized, propagandistic demands of those who fund it.
* **The Power of Erasure:** The concept that what is deliberately omitted or erased from the historical record is as significant and powerful as what is recorded.
* **The Weight of the Past:** An exploration of how suppressed historical crimes and injustices continue to fester beneath the surface, influencing and poisoning the present.
## Stakes
The artists risk their commission, their professional reputations, and potentially their physical safety by threatening to expose a dark secret that the town's most powerful figures have spent decades burying.
## Synopsis
In a sweltering, dust-filled studio, three artists—the pragmatic Narrator, the cynical Sculptor, and the romantic Painter—debate their approach to a town-funded art exhibit. The commission is to create a "definitive artistic interpretation" of the town's history, with the strict caveat that it must be "uplifting" and not "stir up old resentments." The Sculptor argues for a brutally honest portrayal of the town's decay, while the Painter wishes to find beauty and resilience in the struggle.
The Narrator, trying to find a viable path forward, steers the conversation toward a known historical anomaly: the "Great Mill Fire of '78," a convenient disaster that preceded a "modernization" which gutted the local workforce. He reframes their project not as an illustration of history, but as an investigation into a potential crime. The Sculptor, invigorated, produces a yellowed newspaper clipping from his grandfather's belongings—an obituary for Elias Finch, a 28-year-old architect who died of a "sudden heart attack" just one week before the fire. Finch's name is conspicuously absent from all official town histories.
This discovery shifts the dynamic. The name of Mr. Sterling, a ruthless industrialist who acquired the mill's assets for a pittance after the fire and became the town's de facto patriarch, is introduced. The artists begin to connect the dots: a young architect who might have opposed Sterling's plans, a sudden death, a convenient fire that destroyed records, and a subsequent corporate takeover. The Painter, initially hesitant to engage in "conspiracy theories," is swayed by the evidence, his idealism now focused on the profound injustice of Finch's erasure.
Their artistic debate transforms into a moral and ethical one. They are no longer just making art; they are contemplating an accusation. They realize that to tell the town's true history is to expose a potential murder and cover-up orchestrated by the town's founding father. The film ends as they silently accept their new, dangerous purpose. They will create an exhibit that doesn't provide answers, but instead asks damning questions, shining a light on the gaps, the absences, and the lies at the heart of their town's story, fully aware that the descendants of those who buried the truth are still very much in power.
## Character Breakdown
* **THE NARRATOR (30s-40s): The Detective.** Pragmatic, observant, and analytical. They act as the mediator and the story's logical anchor, constantly sifting through chaos for patterns. Their interest lies not in aesthetics, but in the "why" of things—the structural flaws in a narrative.
* **Psychological Arc:** The Narrator begins as a pragmatic project manager, trying to reconcile artistic vision with a restrictive commission. As evidence of a cover-up emerges, they transform into the quiet driving force of an investigation, embracing the role of a truth-seeker who is willing to risk the consequences of exposing a dangerous past.
* **THE SCULPTOR (40s-50s): The Cynic.** A passionate, brutally honest artist who sees the world in terms of raw truth and decay. He is drawn to brutalism and uncomfortable realities, believing art should confront, not console. He is the first to voice dissent and provides the key piece of physical evidence.
* **THE PAINTER (40s-50s): The Romantic.** An idealist who seeks beauty, nobility, and the "resilience of the human spirit," even in ruins. He initially resists the cynical, conspiratorial direction, believing in a more nuanced, less polemic approach. His journey is one of disillusionment, as his artistic integrity forces him to confront a truth uglier than he wished to portray.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE COMMISSION:** In a sweltering studio, the NARRATOR, SCULPTOR, and PAINTER argue. The Sculptor calls the town's history a "stained tablecloth." The Painter wants to find nobility. The Narrator reminds them of the council's restrictive "uplifting" mandate.
2. **THE CRIME SCENE:** The conversation turns to the "Great Mill Fire of '78." The Narrator reframes the project: "Let's consider this... as a crime scene."
3. **THE GHOST:** The Sculptor reveals the key evidence: a yellowed obituary for ELIAS FINCH, a young architect who died suddenly a week before the fire. His name has been erased from history.
4. **THE ARCHITECT OF DECAY:** They connect the fire to the ruthless industrialist MR. STERLING, who profited immensely from the disaster and whose family still holds power in the town. The conspiracy takes shape.
5. **THE SHIFT:** The Painter, initially skeptical, studies the clipping. His romanticism gives way to a quiet resolve. He agrees they must portray the "enduring absence of justice."
6. **THE VERDICT:** The debate is over. The trio implicitly agrees on their dangerous new direction. They will use their art to expose the questions and inconsistencies behind the town's founding lie. The oppressive heat of the studio mirrors the pressure and danger they now face.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style is grounded realism, steeped in a noir atmosphere. The primary location, the studio, is a character itself: cluttered, dusty, and claustrophobic, with high-contrast lighting from a single grimy window creating deep shadows. The color palette is muted and desaturated, dominated by ochre, rust, and the faded tones of old paper and brick. The oppressive summer heat is a tangible visual element, conveyed through shimmering air, beads of sweat, and the slow, hypnotic spin of a ceiling fan.
The tone is a slow-burn, intellectual thriller. It is tense and paranoid, driven by sharp, philosophical dialogue rather than action. The mood is heavy and contemplative, focusing on the moral weight and rising dread of uncovering a buried secret. It aligns with the intellectual paranoia of **_The Conversation_** and the small-town secrets of **_Sharp Objects_**, but with the artistic and moral introspection found in episodes of **_Black Mirror_** that deal with memory, truth, and historical revisionism.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
Commissioned to create a celebratory art exhibit, three artists in a decaying industrial town uncover a decades-old conspiracy of murder and erasure, forcing them to choose between fulfilling their lucrative contract and exposing a dangerous truth that could shatter their community.
## Themes
* **Truth vs. Narrative:** The conflict between historical fact and the curated, "uplifting" stories a community tells about itself to maintain order and power.
* **Artistic Integrity vs. Patronage:** The struggle between creating challenging, honest art and fulfilling the sanitized, propagandistic demands of those who fund it.
* **The Power of Erasure:** The concept that what is deliberately omitted or erased from the historical record is as significant and powerful as what is recorded.
* **The Weight of the Past:** An exploration of how suppressed historical crimes and injustices continue to fester beneath the surface, influencing and poisoning the present.
## Stakes
The artists risk their commission, their professional reputations, and potentially their physical safety by threatening to expose a dark secret that the town's most powerful figures have spent decades burying.
## Synopsis
In a sweltering, dust-filled studio, three artists—the pragmatic Narrator, the cynical Sculptor, and the romantic Painter—debate their approach to a town-funded art exhibit. The commission is to create a "definitive artistic interpretation" of the town's history, with the strict caveat that it must be "uplifting" and not "stir up old resentments." The Sculptor argues for a brutally honest portrayal of the town's decay, while the Painter wishes to find beauty and resilience in the struggle.
The Narrator, trying to find a viable path forward, steers the conversation toward a known historical anomaly: the "Great Mill Fire of '78," a convenient disaster that preceded a "modernization" which gutted the local workforce. He reframes their project not as an illustration of history, but as an investigation into a potential crime. The Sculptor, invigorated, produces a yellowed newspaper clipping from his grandfather's belongings—an obituary for Elias Finch, a 28-year-old architect who died of a "sudden heart attack" just one week before the fire. Finch's name is conspicuously absent from all official town histories.
This discovery shifts the dynamic. The name of Mr. Sterling, a ruthless industrialist who acquired the mill's assets for a pittance after the fire and became the town's de facto patriarch, is introduced. The artists begin to connect the dots: a young architect who might have opposed Sterling's plans, a sudden death, a convenient fire that destroyed records, and a subsequent corporate takeover. The Painter, initially hesitant to engage in "conspiracy theories," is swayed by the evidence, his idealism now focused on the profound injustice of Finch's erasure.
Their artistic debate transforms into a moral and ethical one. They are no longer just making art; they are contemplating an accusation. They realize that to tell the town's true history is to expose a potential murder and cover-up orchestrated by the town's founding father. The film ends as they silently accept their new, dangerous purpose. They will create an exhibit that doesn't provide answers, but instead asks damning questions, shining a light on the gaps, the absences, and the lies at the heart of their town's story, fully aware that the descendants of those who buried the truth are still very much in power.
## Character Breakdown
* **THE NARRATOR (30s-40s): The Detective.** Pragmatic, observant, and analytical. They act as the mediator and the story's logical anchor, constantly sifting through chaos for patterns. Their interest lies not in aesthetics, but in the "why" of things—the structural flaws in a narrative.
* **Psychological Arc:** The Narrator begins as a pragmatic project manager, trying to reconcile artistic vision with a restrictive commission. As evidence of a cover-up emerges, they transform into the quiet driving force of an investigation, embracing the role of a truth-seeker who is willing to risk the consequences of exposing a dangerous past.
* **THE SCULPTOR (40s-50s): The Cynic.** A passionate, brutally honest artist who sees the world in terms of raw truth and decay. He is drawn to brutalism and uncomfortable realities, believing art should confront, not console. He is the first to voice dissent and provides the key piece of physical evidence.
* **THE PAINTER (40s-50s): The Romantic.** An idealist who seeks beauty, nobility, and the "resilience of the human spirit," even in ruins. He initially resists the cynical, conspiratorial direction, believing in a more nuanced, less polemic approach. His journey is one of disillusionment, as his artistic integrity forces him to confront a truth uglier than he wished to portray.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE COMMISSION:** In a sweltering studio, the NARRATOR, SCULPTOR, and PAINTER argue. The Sculptor calls the town's history a "stained tablecloth." The Painter wants to find nobility. The Narrator reminds them of the council's restrictive "uplifting" mandate.
2. **THE CRIME SCENE:** The conversation turns to the "Great Mill Fire of '78." The Narrator reframes the project: "Let's consider this... as a crime scene."
3. **THE GHOST:** The Sculptor reveals the key evidence: a yellowed obituary for ELIAS FINCH, a young architect who died suddenly a week before the fire. His name has been erased from history.
4. **THE ARCHITECT OF DECAY:** They connect the fire to the ruthless industrialist MR. STERLING, who profited immensely from the disaster and whose family still holds power in the town. The conspiracy takes shape.
5. **THE SHIFT:** The Painter, initially skeptical, studies the clipping. His romanticism gives way to a quiet resolve. He agrees they must portray the "enduring absence of justice."
6. **THE VERDICT:** The debate is over. The trio implicitly agrees on their dangerous new direction. They will use their art to expose the questions and inconsistencies behind the town's founding lie. The oppressive heat of the studio mirrors the pressure and danger they now face.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style is grounded realism, steeped in a noir atmosphere. The primary location, the studio, is a character itself: cluttered, dusty, and claustrophobic, with high-contrast lighting from a single grimy window creating deep shadows. The color palette is muted and desaturated, dominated by ochre, rust, and the faded tones of old paper and brick. The oppressive summer heat is a tangible visual element, conveyed through shimmering air, beads of sweat, and the slow, hypnotic spin of a ceiling fan.
The tone is a slow-burn, intellectual thriller. It is tense and paranoid, driven by sharp, philosophical dialogue rather than action. The mood is heavy and contemplative, focusing on the moral weight and rising dread of uncovering a buried secret. It aligns with the intellectual paranoia of **_The Conversation_** and the small-town secrets of **_Sharp Objects_**, but with the artistic and moral introspection found in episodes of **_Black Mirror_** that deal with memory, truth, and historical revisionism.