In photographer and filmmaker Luke Gilford’s new sci-fi short, “Connected,” Pamela Anderson lays herself bare. Playing a fitness instructor in a spiritual crisis, Anderson toys with her image as a sex symbol, appearing without makeup and exuding a deeply soulful unhappiness. In the short, Anderson joins a mysterious wellness cult to find a reason for living.

“’Connected’ is a portrait of a woman grappling with aging, self-perception, and transformation in a technologically optimized world,” explains Gilford on his website. “Jackie (Pamela Anderson) is … obsessed with self-improvement tapes (voiced by Jane Fonda), and she is soon drawn to an advanced yet enigmatic wellness spa that promises to enhance her mind, body, and soul.”