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A woman buys an android. A woman lives alone, looking on wistfully as her neighbors and their families enjoy their time together. She tries to pass the time with hobbies, exercise, and other pursuits, but she's still lonely. One day while scrolling, she sees an ad for a companion android from a company called Visitr and orders one. Life with her Visitr takes some getting used to, but soon she adapts to his somewhat uncanny and stilted manner. But as he learns from the small, ordinary world around him, they find a form of companionship despite the android's limitations. When the android breaks down, she finds herself bereft -- and reminded of the connection she really longs for. Directed and written by Dan Samiljan, this sci-fi short has a surprisingly sweet, wholesome yet still thoughtful take on its themes of loneliness, connection and technology. Many narratives about A.I. -- and real-life stories about A.I. companions, from romantic partners to friendships -- have emerged in recent years, fascinating for how they examine A.I.'s strengths and limitations when it comes to its ability to fulfill human needs for connection. Many have had dystopian or dysfunctional takes on the matter, but this short has an earnest sweetness and genuine openness to its questions, making for an unusually heartwarming experience that's still thought-provoking for what's missing. The visuals are straightforward with a kind of bright, well-lit well-appointed ordinariness, mirroring something of the tone's essential optimism. Yet within this world, the woman finds herself adrift emotionally. The well-paced storytelling unfolds mostly without dialogue and limits itself to the domestic sphere of the older woman, who spends much time alone at home. She eats, exercises, does puzzles and watches TV, among other things. But there is no one in her life she really talks to, no one to share anything with. In her loneliness, she orders an android to be her companion. The film has quirky humor, which quickens as the woman and her android adjust to life together with a few mishaps and misunderstandings along the way. Actor and social media creator Jay Renshaw is wonderful as the android, stiff and clueless in some moments yet charmingly naive and eager to learn. Actor Lily Knight is the emotional heart of the film. Her character's loneliness is conveyed with a touching vulnerability, and it's a pleasure to see her joy emerge as she finds fun in her android's companionship. But when that fun goes too far, she comes up against her companion's limitations and a new heartbreak. VISITOR ends on a grace note, one that reveals the true extent of her loneliness. As it ends up, while her android companion brought fun and liveliness in her daily life, it didn't quite replace the connection she was really seeking -- one of love, belonging and knowing and being known by someone she had history and meaningful memories with. She finds the difference between someone to do things with, and someone who she loves and who loves her back. It's a tender ending for a film that ultimately reminds us that emotions are the dimension that we long to fulfill, and there's no way to hack the reciprocity and memories that are built up over time and shared with people you love. VISITOR. Courtesy of Dan Samiljan at https://dansamiljan.com.