Coal Spell
Sun Xun CN, 2008, 8', SD video
Inspired by a five Yuan RMB note, Coal Spell recounts the rise and fall of Fuxin, an old industrial coal city located in Northeast China. Yellow sand storms wreak havoc. Huge smokestacks pierce the sky, clouds of black smoke block the sun. Political slogans blast away daily, they drown out any form of curiosity about the outside world. The city is a tremendous prison where history is boxed up like a fierce monster, until a screeching Soviet excavator is forced to gouge the land. Sun Xun's meticulously drawn animation film questions the relationship of history and power, based on the artist's own experiences and nostalgia for his upbringing.
Fri 24/9 Kino SC 18:00
