A florist who stutters is forced to drive a voice-activated car.


VOICE ACTIVATED is used with permission from Steve Anthopoulos. Learn more at https://steveanthopoulos.com.


Trent is a florist who is passionate about his work, his craft and his customers. His bouquets are beautiful, and he will go to great lengths to transport them to his clients' weddings and special occasions. Trent also struggles with a stutter, which sometimes makes running his business difficult.

On his way to a delivery at a wedding, his car has a spot of trouble. Calling customer service is difficult for someone who deals with a stutter, so he lugs his flowers to the nearest car rental place for a new state-of-the-art vehicle. But the car relies on voice-recognition tech to work, and Trent finds himself battling with the car -- and finding his voice in the process.

Directed and written by Steve Anthopoulos, this understated yet endearing short comedy is both a witty snapshot of one man's battle against hilariously intrusive technology and an empathetic look at how difficult it can be for stutterers in a world that is getting increasingly faster and more impatient.

Excellently written and directed, the tenor of the film is naturalistic, from the straightforward cinematography to the pacing, which takes the time to capture Trent's difficulties in his interactions with everything from customer service on the phone to the receptionist at the car rental place. In each encounter, we can see the difficulty Trent has in speaking, often exacerbated by the lack of understanding or patience he faces. The comedy comes when Trent comes up against an interlocutor who isn't human -- his voice-responsive car, who isn't programmed to wait for his responses or wildly interprets his stutters into unhelpful directions and directives.

His frustration is relatable to anyone who has ever had to shout multiple times at Alexa, and the storytelling finds humor in how imperfect voice-recognition technology can be. But Trent's friction in these situations is unique to his condition, and these constant battles can take a toll on Trent, making him feel alone, isolated or ashamed. As Trent, actor Aleks Mikic is a relatable, personable screen presence, and his portrayal of stuttering is grounded in an emotional reality without being overplayed. His emotions are both understated and precise, especially as Trent often has to stuff down his frustration to get on with his day. But when his client for the day turns wrathfully impatient, Trent's anger and rage are unleashed at his hapless car -- a torrent of expression that seems to free something inside of Trent, helping him find his voice at last.

The final section of VOICE ACTIVATED captures the ripple effect of Trent's newfound freedom with both gentle humor and unmistakable triumph. Trent learns to speak up in his unique way, persevering despite people's incomprehension or insensitivity. With its funny, heartwarming ending, Trent emerges as nothing less than an everyday hero, one whose voice and standing in the world was hard-fought, well-earned and even inspiring.