Participants in conventional gender and sexual orientation systems are often forced to enact their desires in a contorted fashion. Poking fun at the idea of Freudian lack, Naomi Uman’s Removed uses nail polish remover and household bleach to physically erase representations of the female body from recovered 16 mm porn footage. By censoring the original focus of attraction, these celluloid holes force your imagination to redraw the missing porn stars. Such fantasy bodies find a new lease of life in Donoso’s narratively-driven Casa Roshell, where we follow male crossdressers as they live their fantasies inside the haven
created by Roshell and Liliana. The movie was filmed in six days using a script written by Donoso based on covert audio recordings taken in Mexico City’s Casa Roshell prior to its closure. One poignant moment occurs when one man, upon meeting his brother in the club, says “I know you from somewhere.” Both films are sensual playback of desire and search for identity, located in places where reality and fiction are inverted.
Committed to building long-term and sustainable dialogue with our visitors, Hong Kong cultural critics, and intellectuals, Art Film Hour shows a selection of moving image work following a thematic every season. Art Film Hour is a sub-programme of Art After Hours, an event series presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary that will talk with you, sing with you, and strive to always show you something new. Art After Hours welcomes all visitors to experience contemporary art in Hong Kong live. Artists, writers, public intellectuals, and curators are invited to engage in talks, performances, and screenings.