Lincoln has partnered with Vimeo for a groundbreaking project that commissions filmmakers to re-imagine familiar ideas into something new. The collaboration comes from Vimeo’s just-launched Brand Creative Fund, in which Vimeo vets community filmmakers to join the world of advertising – in this case, interpreting Lincoln’s theme of “Hello Again” – while maintaining artistic freedom and creating something meaningful.

When Uber Content director Eliot Rausch was asked to make a short film to interpret “Hello, Again,” he found himself increasingly distracted by his phone, his email, and his constant need to be in touch. It was then, Rausch says, that he thought, “‘This is the idea’ It’s about digital distraction and how interfacing with technology is affecting our relationships.”  In the elegiac short “Get Back,” Eliot showcases a young couple trying to work out life and love in a digital world shaped by the devices that connect us – and keep us from connecting with one another.  Although the impact of so much accessible technology is familiar to many of us, the story unfolds with nuance and poetry that is unique to Eliot’s work. Forgoing traditional use of a script or dialogue, the viewer is left with a decentralized, familiar sense of isolation and dread.

“Get Back” was released with a behind-the-scenes look, as well as a poignant introduction from Eliot, who explains that the film was made to show, “We’re missing something very big, as we’re all sort of buried in our technology and buried in our phones.  We’re missing some really important part of life that we’ll never have again.”