Walker / Threshold / Diamond Island (M+2017)

Walker (2012)
26 min, Cantonese with English and Chinese subtitles, DCP, Hong Kong

The Walker performs a slow, walking meditation through the bustling streets of Hong Kong. Draped in a monk’s bright-red robes, he moves barefoot through notoriously crowded spaces, his unhurried gestures contrasting with the rapid pace of the city.

Tsai Ming-Liang (Malaysian, b.1957) is a master of ‘cinematic slowness’ and one of the most celebrated directors of contemporary world cinema, receiving both the Golden Lion and the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. Working mostly in Taiwan, his films are distinguished by their long takes, minimal dialogue, and the commanding presence of actor and muse Lee Kang-sheng.

Threshold (2013)
4 min, Digital, Hong Kong

Threshold pays homage to the legendary three-minute sci-fi cityscape montage in Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell (1997). Shot in Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok, and Causeway Bay, the same crowded locations that inspired Oshii’s cult animation, Threshold strips the Hong Kong streets of all advertising, leaving a trail of tessellated, geometric screens. By reducing the visual ‘noise’ of the urban landscape, this short film draws attention to the contours and textures of the city that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Joao Vasco Paiva (Portuguese, b.1979) is a Hong Kong-based artist. His sculptural and video installations focus on urban infrastructures, city living and the relationships between urban development and ruin.

Diamond Island (2016)
101 min, Khmer with English subtitles, DCP, Cambodia/France 18-year old Bora leaves his family in rural Cambodia to become a construction worker on Diamond Island, an opulent luxury development being constructed on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Here he encounters his estranged, enigmatic older brother Solei, who initiates Bora into the privileged world of Cambodia’s middle-class urban youth. Tensions between Bora’s newfound lifestyle and the realities of his daily working life are reflected in the inequalities of Diamond Island, as well as within greater Cambodia.

Davy Chou (French-Cambodian, b.1983) has worked extensively with Cambodian youth, establishing filmmaking workshops and collectives in Phnom Penh. His short film Cambodia 2099 (2014), also shot on Diamond Island, was selected for the Director’s Fortnight at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. He returned to Cannes in 2016, where Diamond Island was selected for International Critics’ Week.