Turing Test – A short film that outsmarts you

From the very first frame, Turing Test pulls you in. In just 6 minutes and 28 seconds, writer-director Jaschar Marktanner crafts a psychological puzzle that lingers long after the credits roll.

We meet Sophie, a young woman preparing her AI, Alan, for an upcoming Turing test. This a challenge that could determine not just the machine’s intelligence, but her own future. Alan doesn’t behave the way she expects. And that’s where the fun begins. 

What starts as a straightforward setup quickly changes into something more interesting. You think you’ve got it figured out, until you don’t. The film plays with your assumptions, nudging you into mental traps and then pulling the rug out from under you. It’s a masterclass in misdirection, and it keeps you sharp, alert, and just a little bit paranoid.

The performances are striking. Marlene Fahnster and Richard Lingscheidt are both incredibly convincing. The cast doesn’t just act, they embody the questions the film is asking. We asked Jaschar Marktanner how he worked with the actors to achieve such depth in such a compact format, since the performances are incredibly convincing.

He answered: "Thank you very much for complimenting the performances. The acting is the most important thing for me in my movies. The saying "preparation is key" rings true here, but the most important preparation is to select the correct actors. I couldn't have asked for a better cast for Turing Test. It was the first movie I have made in years, and I was incredibly rusty, a shell of my former directing self. These actors didn't let that hold them back though, which again shows how important it is to cast the correct people. Not trying to go into spoiler territory, but Marlene Fahnster I think had the most complex character to work with. The way it is written, it could have gone horribly wrong performancewise. To be frank, I was about to give up on this movie before she applied, because it had just been so long and I was lacking motivation to dedicate my time and money to a project again. But when we had our first call, I knew I wanted to make movies again and I wanted to work with her, be it at this movie or another one. Obviously she got the role in the end, and currently I am in the process of producing my third short film with her (here's hoping for a feature). To go back to your question, I had long talks with the actors beforehand, so at the set I basically just had to give little notes between takes. If you have a script that an actor can work with and if you have a good actor, I think the rest comes naturally. Their performances are all thanks to them, I was just enjoying the show from a front row seat and said a few words every now and then."

Technically, Turing Test is polished and precise. The lighting and sound design are excellent. It’s clear that every detail was considered, and the result is a film that feels far bigger than its runtime. But what truly sets Turing Test apart is its ability to provoke thought. It doesn’t just entertain, it interrogates. The themes are timely: AI, identity, control, and the blurry line between simulation and reality. It reminds us of movies like Inception and The Truman Show, not through spectacle, but through psychological depth. 

When asked what he hopes audiences take away from Turing Test, Jaschar Marktanner doesn’t offer a tidy answer. In fact, he resists the question altogether: “I don’t make my movies for other people. I make them for myself,” he says. “So I really have no desired outcome for audiences. Obviously I’m glad if they like them, especially the acting, but I never consider what audiences may think or feel after watching. That’s their business. To be clear, that doesn't mean I am not interested in opinions about the movies, I just don't think about it until I see one. Sometimes I learn new things about my movies this way."

It’s a bold stance, and one that makes Turing Test all the more intriguing. Marktanner isn’t trying to guide your thoughts: he’s inviting you to have your own. And sometimes, as he admits, it’s the audience who teaches him something new about his own work. This refusal to guidance is part of what makes Turing Test so effective. It provokes, unsettles, and leaves space for interpretation. 

By the end, one question lingers: Who am I, really? And if an AI can make you ask that, then maybe it’s passed its own kind of Turing test.