As techno-feudalists endlessly manufacture new illusions, their ambitions extend far beyond digital integration, reaching into the fabric of our communities, the landscapes of our dreams, and the living world itself. Yet amid the quagmire of culture, technology, and capital, a yearning for human connection and the possibility of release endures.
Oct 10: Filmmaker Q&A
This short film program includes the following films:
Opera Kistch
C. Ricardo, Lobo Mauro, Brazil (16 min)
In a world of digital and political slop-proliferation, do we still know the grotesque when we see it?
Like Moths to Light
Gala Hernández López, Spain/Italy/France (27 min)
Investigating the sacred space of dreams, a tech startup poses a provocative yet plausible future of neurocapitalism.
Display Nature
Nicolas Gebbe, Germany (9 min)
Reflecting on commodification, self-perception, and the absurd, an urgent tension between nature and tech evolves.
Oh Be a Fine Girls Kiss Me
Alice dos Reis, Portugal (8 min)
A 19th century nun recounts her celestial work as a human computer, mapping the sky and reincarnating as a 1990s coder.
Typhoon Mambo
Domenico Singha Pedroli, Thailand/Switzerland/France (24 min)
Continuing to interact with her departed husband via a chatbot, Rusmee clings tight to her memories.
The Blessing
Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel, France/Switzerland (24 min)
Barricaded in an after-hours pub, the music must never stop, otherwise something terrible could happen.
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Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
A. Rimbaud
Patrick Wang (The Bread Factory) presents the life of French poet Arthur Rimbaud in this staggeringly adventurous and deeply considered movie, a three-hour, one-man show quite unlike anything we have seen before. "Poetic, audacious and singular."
The 39 Steps
In our new film studies series, FRAMEWORK, film scholar Michael van den Bos explores the work of Alfred Hitchcock, across four monochrome masterworks. This week: The 39 Steps (1935), a witty and fast-moving spy thriller from Hitchcock's English period.