From Nicole Kidman’s BDSM adventures to a pastoral docudrama by French twin directors Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma, here are five films to keep an eye out for this year
In an era where the boundaries between human and nonhuman, local and global, are constantly shifting, exploring identity and locality is increasingly pertinent. This section reveals the intricate interplay between personal and collective identities and their environments, bringing together artists who examine cultural fluidity, land dispossession, the balance between tradition and change, and critiques of human activities within global challenges.
ZHANG XU Zhan illustrates how cultural meanings travel and reshape local identities, using the fly’s compound eyes to symbolize multiple viewpoints. Naomi Rincón Gallardo critiques land dispossession and emphasizes activism from a decolonial, feminist perspective. Thao Nguyen Phan explores the balance between tradition and change, focusing on environmental and social impacts in the Mekong region. Yin-Ju Chen critiques global warming and resource exploitation, challenging viewers to rethink history and progress. Charwei Tsai contemplates the ephemeral nature of existence and the continuous cycle of life, encouraging new perspectives through simple, meditative acts.
Program:
ZHANG XU Zhan, Compound Eyes of Tropical (Animal Story series), 2022, 17 min
Yin-Ju Chen, Extrastellar Evaluations III : Entropy : 25800, 2018, 17 min
