Discovering texts, images or movies which were thought to be lost forever, is often quite a lucky coincidence, not just for the artist, but especially the audience. In the case of Kang Chien Chu's short feature “Alienation”, the story of how it disappeared and was eventually re-discovered in 2018 is one of those tales revolving around a work both provocative while also contemplative. According to rumors, a Taiwanese priest expressed his concern with the feature when it was screened for the first time in the director's home country, resulting in “Alienation” never to be seen again in theaters until a number of stills re-emerged and caught the eye of film enthusiasts and art lovers who wanted to see the entire film for themselves.
“Alienation” is screening at Queer East Film Festival
At the core of “Alienation”, we see a man in various situations. At first, he lies almost naked next to a window in a sort of fetal position as if praying or sleeping. As he lies on his back, his hands touching his chest and his crotch, it seems as if he was masturbating (or plans to). In the end, he is in the city and as he crosses the street, he is presumably overrun by a car. Throughout the six-minute movie, various intertitles show various bits and pieces of a poem (?), dealing with the search for god, which might underline the idea of the man praying as he lies next to the window.
Given its structure, “Alienation” is perhaps best experienced when viewed as some kind of art installation. Its sparse narrative deals with a man whose isolation has become so immense, he seemingly prays for some kind of contact, a touch or any kind of sensation from outside. The gesture of touching his chest (his heart?) and his crotch emphasizes this kind of thirst for contact, as well as the level of isolation he experiences.
Evidently, there is someone “dragging me down”, as the man suggests, his thoughts expressed in the aforementioned intertitles. The silent prayer to an unknown god, the longing for sensation seems to present an existential desire, while also highlighting the level of alienation the character has to live with. Perhaps Kang-Chien Chiu tells the tragic story of a way to escape this profound loneliness, while also keeping a distinct glimpse of hope in the end.
In conclusion, “Alienation” is an interesting and thought-provoking short feature which will likely appeal to those audiences with an open mind and interested in visual avant-garde.
