No, this is not yet another review of Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert's sci-fi action adventure from last year, and the movie's title stops after the second word. To further clear any form of confusion regardingits content, there is no action or sci-fi, although there is allegedly some kind of adventure involved in it. Or so we are told.
“Everything, Everywhere” is screening at Tallinn Black Nights
A young Japanese filmmaker Jay (Shogen) disappears somewhere on the territory of former Yugoslavia during the Covid-19 pandemic while searching inspiration for his new film. His former collaborator Eva (Adela Sou) travels to the region to trace him down. Why (we are given a glimpse into the past in which they didn't seem to harmonise after a while) and by which logic is the thing made of mystery.
“Everything, Everywhere” is the final chapter of Kim Kah Wai's Balkan trilogy which started in 2017 with “No Where, Now Here” about the Turkish minority in Northern Macedonia and Slovenia, followed by “Somewhen, Somewhere” about an Asian girl and her travels through Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro.
The jumpy nature of the film's narrative, if it can be called that at all, makes this attempt at mystery ‘travelogue drama' very difficult. Even more so, the inexplicable travel path – firstly, the director, and later on, the actress – take to search each their own truth. For someone who doesn't come from those parts of the world, it is extremely difficult to comprehend where the two lead actors are, almost at any given moment of the film, unless there is someone saying it out aloud, or a sign that indicates their whereabouts. The clearest destination could be Belgrade, where Eva is met by her host family and explained that their common friend Jay disappeared in thin air. For people who know the geography (and particularly the monuments dedicated to victims of wars) of the former Yugoslav countries, the task of deciphering the physical path is slightly lighter, although not always.
Lim returns to some of the protagonists seen in his previous two films, which also becomes a challenge for the audience not acquainted with the first two parts of trilogy. The wild mixture of documentary and soft-boiled fiction creates so many question marks, that confusion replaces any kind of potential reaction about the, let's say, director's attempt at an arthouse project.
“Everything, Everywhere” has landed in the Rebels With A Cause competition of Tallinn Black Nights, where it had its world premiere. This might appear strange regarding the disparity in quality of the program and the weak results in the director's latest work, but one should praise the festival for being faithful to the filmmakers once it discovers them and invites them to Tallinn for the first time. Last year, we had the opportunity to watch his clever drama “Your Lovely Smile” here.
