ABSEITS: dystopia

Why is it that in our fictional visions – like film – we so often imagine only the end of the world (or its worsening under the guise of improvement)? This question strikes at the core of art and the potential necessity of narrative – one might argue. In ABSEITS: DYSTOPIA, I want to show that this isn’t the case; rather, it seems we find it difficult – if not impossible – to detach ourselves from our own ideology. The moment we try to imagine breaking out, we end up reproducing it. Brunaupark shows the here and now, no leap into a „not-so-distant future“ required. Brazil, then, is perhaps the opposite: an exaggeration of the Kafkaesque chaos-machine that justifies itself endlessly. In the same breath, I imagine Mad God as the collapse of Brazil’s high society – and 2551.03 as fascism, always lurking just beneath our feet. If you trace the footsteps of dystopian visions through time, you don’t arrive at a clear blueprint of societal collapse – but at an aesthetic. PUNK. The Ishii double feature makes it clear: whether set in the past, the future, or the here and now, visual language emerges precisely where rules are neglected. One more observation – maybe to some unsurprisingly – the end of the world is a deeply male-dominated theme. Finding relevant entries in film history is, relatively speaking, quite difficult. DYSTOPIA is a hyper-male phantasy.