'Vindicta' turns the streets of Brockton into a dystopian society filled with toxic air

BROCKTON – Brahms Guignard and Tanner Pletzke turned the streets of Brockton into a dystopian society filled with toxic air in their short film, "Vindicta."

Guignard, the writer and actor of Vindicta, found his creative curiosity from filming content after school at a young age.

"In 10th grade, we filmed a horror movie on the camcorder. No one took it seriously but me. It's fun but also a joke. I didn't think it would be something I could do seriously at that age," Guignard said.

At that time, Guignard, who attended Brockton High School, didn't have a sense of direction regarding his future.

Filmmaking wasn't something he thought would be a viable career option until later in his 20s in college.

Pletzke and Guignard found each other in 2015, in the student center of Northeastern University after Pletzke, a sophomore, created a film club

"Growing up in Brockton, I wish there were more role models that looked like me in acting and screenwriting. Maybe I would've found this passion sooner and used more available resources," Guignard said.

The lack of representation in the industry is something Guignard said he wants to change significantly for young creators living in Brockton since graduating BHS in 2010.

"There needs to be more representation in our community," Guignard said.

Guignard became heavily invested in breaking into the acting and modeling industry.

The aspiring young actor joined casting call websites and auditioned for roles.

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Guignard's first significant speaking role was as a reporter in the Netflix movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, "Don't Look Up."

Many of the scenes were filmed in downtown Brockton last year.

"I had a ton of lines, but they got cut from editing. Being in that movie made me feel like this is something I can do. I feel my faith and belief in God are in my heart to do big things. It was assuring I could present myself and be selected," Guignard said.

Not too long after landing a role in "Don't Look Up," Guignard signed to Model Club, a modeling agency, and was booked for several auditions for commercial and other acting jobs.

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Additionally, Guignard acquired an agent who got the ball rolling in his favor.

This new experience was different for the actor as he's used to writing and building his scripts and productions instead of auditioning for one.

Tanner and Guignard found themselves working with each other on several projects pre-pandemic to get their name out there.

One of their film projects, "Butterfly," never got released, but it was the start of their creative vision. From that project, they knew that every project after would be bigger and better.

Guignard pitched "Vindicta" to Anawan Studios, a Brockton-based production company that filmed the project, and the two got to work.

The short film takes place in a world where the air quality goes from breathable to toxic at any moment.

"The movie was something I felt strongly about because it's topical with dealing with COVID and how society was and even the current status of politics. Everyone seemed like they were only thinking about themselves," Guignard said.

The film budget was over $100,000, and filmed in several states, including Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

"It was a big uptick from the last projects we filmed," Guignard said.

"The film examines what it means to be human in a dispassionate climate: Directly, it tells us, we can either succumb to despair or take the difficult path out of the woods — toward forgiveness," Guignard said.

In past projects, their budget was just under $10,000.

The duo did some crowd funding for other film projects, and progressively, their budgets increased drastically over time.

Vindicta is set to premiere at Brockton High School on June 25 at 6 p.m.

This project is very special to the pair as it's showing their take on the world through a different lens.

Guignard's end goal is to be able to let his imagination run wild and create content without limits or a budget.

"I don't care about fame or the money, but I know it comes with the territory of filmmaking and being an actor. My goal is simple, to imagine something and have the means to create it. I just want to be able to think of something film-wise and be able to create it without money being a problem," Guignard said.

"My service to humanity is being able to inspire and make people feel like they belong and have the right to look up and dream and do whatever they feel is in their heart," Guignard said.

Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @alishaspeakss and Instagram at Alishaatv. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brahms Guignard tanner Pletzke vindicta brockton high actor writer