— Synopsis

Cassius, a worn-down Hispanic gladiator of modern life, fights to make a living as a nighttime garbage man in the concrete arena of the Bronx. One night he’s inevitably laid off and faces his fear of becoming a homeless pariah. On his own terms, he sets up his final farewell, but a fuse unexpectedly defaults him and makes him wonder through the night in quest of his truth.

— Director’s Statement

As an alien in the US, I was always struck by the contrasts. This disparity where everything can be lost overnight. The ever-expanding gaps between classes and the difference of status between those who work and those who don’t, those who have and those who don’t. The danger of misery is physical, psychological, and social, and it is a real anguish to approach the end alone and with nothing. COVID has taken a toll on those who were on the edge. Pushing some into dark abyssal depths of despair. Addressing this harsh reality, I wrote “The Fuse” as a therapy for myself.

Cassius is a man who fights to be on the right side of the fence.
On his own, he’s functional and capable, even if it means shutting down emotions to make it all bearable. We are all Cassius, more or less old, more or less alone, more or less rich with an uncertain future that frightens us, and we try to live despite everything.

We don't laugh at Cassius and his failures but at life that hits us back and teaches us to celebrate small moments of respite.