Futuristik AC–Beitou Summer Festival Screening Event

This July, Hong-Gah Museum and the Bureau français de Taipei will organize a special screening during the Beitou Summer Festival. The screening will focus on futuristic and sci-fi experimental films from Taiwan and Africa, taking viewers on an imaginative journey into an unknown future. In an era of rapid technological development, we can’t help but ponder the challenges and changes that await us in the near future, decades from now. Will humanity eventually have to relocate to other planets, and what will become of human society then? In line with the traditions of the Summer Festival, the screening also aims to evoke a sense of coolness by incorporating desolate landscapes, chilling apocalyptic themes unique to sci-fi films, and exploring the indifference and alienation brought about by technological advancements. It aims to offer a temporary escape from the scorching heat, allowing viewers to spend a surreal evening amidst uncharted territories and otherworldly vistas.

The screening event will be divided into two parts. The first part features science fiction and futuristic fantasies by Taiwanese filmmakers, traversing an imaginative trajectory from the present to the distant future. Starting with recent advancements in artificial intelligence, the films explore the potential changes in image production and economic models in the near future, and address the biases and prejudices embedded within algorithms. It will then progress to depict a Taiwan that has experienced nuclear disasters and alien attacks, questioning whether it will once again become a target of aggression by external forces. The final portion of this section will delve into a more distant future, exploring the unchanging destiny and eternal memory that await humanity after successful space travel.

In the second part, titled “Afrofuturistik,” we will collaborate with the Bureau français de Taipei to screen a selection of short films that explore “Afrofuturism.” These works originate from various African countries, including Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, showcasing the unique aesthetics of Afrofuturism. Afrofuturism combines technology, science fiction, and African cultural elements to delve into themes related to the African diaspora and other pertinent issues. This section not only visually presents African visions of the future but also prompts the audience to contemplate the relationship between humans and technology, along with the diverse possibilities that lie ahead. Through the two-night screening and engaging in dialogues with the filmmakers, we aspire to collectively explore future imaginings from different cultural perspectives.

• The Lighting／Musquiqui Chihying (2021, 21′)
• Hyper-dimension Emulation／Chen Zi Yin, Chuang Hsiang Feng (2023, 4’40)
• Gain 100K+ Followers Week by Week／Chen Zi Yin, Chuang Hsiang Feng (2023, 15’24)
• Battle City – The Great Man／Chang Li-Ren (2017, 6′)
• Battle City 2 – Economic Miracle／Chang Li-Ren (2018-2022, 45′)
• New World／Lin Zhe-Zhi (2022, 6′)
• Transmigration／Wang Wei-Ming (2022, 20′)

• So What If the Goats Die / Sofia Alaoui (Morocco / 2019, 23′)
• We need prayers : this one went to market / Jim Chuchu (Kenya / 2017, 4′)
• Ethereality / Kantarama Gahigiri (Swiss / Rwanda / 2019, 14′)
• Hello Rain / C.J. Obasi (Nigeria / 2018, 30′)
• Zombies / Baloji Tshiani (Democratic Republic of the Congo / 2019, 14′).