Metahaven: Possessed / Film + Talk

‘We never talk, we message. Our disease is called reality. All tenderness is radical in a broken world.’ With the stunning visual essay Possessed, artist Metahaven and filmmaker Rob Schröder paint a bleak image of contemporary life, and a generation frantically looking for meaning on their mobile devices. Are we losing sight of both reality and each other, in this age of social media? Film and talk with Metahaven.

Accompanied by analyses of political scientists Alex Williams and Nick Srnicek, the filmmakers create a landscape of associative poetic imagery and confronting found footage material. A teenager (Olivia Lonsdale) finds herself amongst the remains of former Yugoslavia, standing on the ruins of communism: collapsed buildings, deserted airports, and forgotten books. Disappointed by previous generations, she finds an escape through her smart phone. She is bombarded with images of war, climate issues, the rise of populist movements, and corrupt politicians. Possessed is made by Metahaven (Information Skies, 2017) and the acclaimed documentary filmmaker Rob Schröder (Meet the Fokkens, 2011).

Moderated by: Jacqueline Tizora is a writer and thinker, with a background in Communication Sciences. She is a 2018 Humanity in Action Fellow.