Polluta

August 7, 2024

Synopsis

The film portrays Polluta, a futuristic ecotopian/dystopian artist colony made with air pollution in the imaginary country Contradictoria.

The story is told from the perspectives of Mrs. Elisa Riff, a TV host, and Miss Papagandria, a journalist on-site. In the film, we meet various artists (who are based on real artists in real life—the director’s artist friends) while introduced to various features of the artist colony. We meet the artists dancing in the paradise and singing the official Polluta song in dance. We meet QUIT (Quantum United Information Transfer) owls that replace wifi. We meet super hamsters that are stimulated by needles.

We hear “March to Polluta”, the quirky and ridiculous official Polluta anthem, with the sunflower-framed characters (all anthropomorphic and inspired by the “Polluta Residents’ Portraits”) wiggling to the musical beat, only to be overtaken by the Polluta President and an anonymous hand spreading flying fat doves.

At the end of the film, we hear a dark desperate song “The Polluta Cadenza” in which select artist characters are discontent with the “perfect” ecotopia, decide to take the matter into their own hands and eventually ride off into a glowing sun on flying elephants.

About the author

Michelle Fung

Michelle Fung 馮捲雪 (b. 1982)

Lives and works in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Canadian interdisciplinary artist Michelle Fung’s lifelong interdisciplinary oeuvre revolves around a grand dystopian world-building narrative in year 2084. Her works have been presented extensively in international museums, galleries and university exhibitions and film festivals.