Screening
Asian New Force Category Finalist

Turtle

Jordan Schiele, Kampot Zahi

China / Col / 14' 59" / In Putonghua with English subtitles

Rush hour in Beijing. A construction worker selling a turtle on the road winds up at the country studio of a potential customer who has another offer in mind.

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Finalist Showcase: 4/3 (Fri) | 7:15pm | agnès b. CINEMA | DCP | 193’ | HK$ 65/35* | With after-screening discussion

Artist’s Statement

We live in a world with greater potential for connection between strangers and simultaneously are desensitised to the way we treat people whom we have just met. Because now it’s easy. In turn we begin to view human relationships, and our relationships with any living, breathing thing, as objects that may be exchanged or compromised in an instant. And bargained with. The root of compassion is that certain things have no price. As human beings we are privileged to treat one another with respect, or not, and it is my fear this privilege is subject to abuse more than ever when we are inundated with transactions at every turn. Shopping online is convenient, but it removes the human element. Same goes for online dating. Texting at dinner. Falling asleep and waking up to social media. Turtle transpires in a world where anything has a price. The world may look familiar. It’s our own.