Bardo
Tay-jou Lin TH, 2005, 10', SD video
The English title Bardo is borrowed from the Sanskrit word, which means “between” (bar) “two things” (do) - in this case, it means between death and rebirth, and suggests something vaguely indeterminate, dim, and bearing on life and death. As for the Chinese title, it was subtracted from a middle ages essay The Lamentation of the Dying Creature, an article on trial in hell in Christian manner. The film portrays hungry slaves in an apocalyptic scene, and presents us with an indictment of society's avarice. Religious icons and temple motifs are boldly juxtaposed with bloody, mutilated bodies, and we glimpse humanity's return to a primitive, animal state. The filmmaker's deliberate use of the totemistic symbols with spiritual, metaphysical meanings alongside depictions of bestial desire challenge strongly-held taboos and point up the elemental nature of the intimate yet conflicting links between life, nature, and civilization.
Wed 20/9 Kino SC 21:00
