Norbert

In a world where espionage has become a mundane and routine process, the tale of Norbert unfolds as a darkly comedic exploration of a character who has everything but the skills needed to excel as a spy. Born and raised within the drab, mechanized walls of his nation, Norbert begins his life as a man out of time, lacking the finesse and instincts that his government's elite secret service agency requires. Working for the all-powerful Organization for Random Sensible Intelligence (ORSI), Norbert manages to botch nearly every mission assigned to him, culminating in catastrophe time and again. Despite his repeated failures, the nation's bureaucratic leadership cannot quite seem to decide whether Norbert's ineptitude poses a threat to the greater good or merely makes him a lovable buffoon. When ORSI's top brass devise a master plan to advance their country's objectives by exploiting key vulnerabilities in neighboring nations, Norbert is unwittingly thrust into a pivotal role. He soon finds himself burdened with uncovering the identity of an unknown mole that has infiltrated ORSI's ranks, halting their national espionage apparatus at a critical juncture. To make matters more complicated, the would-be mole is actually the grandchild of a former national hero, and their presence ignites a larger issue tied to ORSI's plan to capitalize upon key rival nations' shortcomings. Furthermore, it does not take long for Orbert's superiors, desperate for a solution, to convince him that the key to triumph lies in unraveling a tangled mystery surrounding ORSI itself, forcing him to chart an erratic course of investigation that will uncover uncomfortable truths about his Organization. Norbert's journey unfolds against a stark, monochromatic backdrop. However, with each unforeseen twist and turn, his travels gain a glimmer of warmth as he draws closer to those with opposite moral compasses: odd ducks who are also caught up in this cat-and-mouse battle, with whom Norbert shares unromantic but relatable connections. Given the perilous context, these misfits must escape on the fly at every turn, to avoid being caught by ORSI agents - essentially, ruthless mercenaries in disguise of law-abiding citizens and ruthless assassins. Along the way, Norbert must begin to assert himself and improve his stumbling attempts at spy work. And through his reluctant accomplishments and emotional breakthroughs, the clumsy, hapless spy blossoms into an untested, and yet courageous and unexpectedly spirited agent. His sudden growth towards unexpected redemption, prompts Norbert to bring about deep revelations: by finally embracing the complexities of human relationships that he has been drifting away from for as long as he can remember, and by doing so confront his repressed past that brings about the fall of the structures in which he lived, which in the grand scheme, allowed him to be closer to reality and those that share his values, which propels him closer to freedom and identity.