The Science of Fictions

This is a space film as you never have seen it before! The year is 1966, and in the jungle in Indonesia, villager Siam accidentally discovers the set of a film that depicts a fictitious moon landing. He is discovered, and to keep him forever silent, his tongue is cut off. From then on, Siam starts to move in slow motion like an astronaut in space, and he soon becomes a village idiot and local attraction.

The Science of Fictions can be read as an allegory of everything that has been kept silent in recent Indonesian history, while it also takes a critical look at fake and sensational news in today's society. Although both the former dictator Suharto and the 1965 genocide are mentioned explicitly, the film's strongest aspects are only implied. Siam's blunt, almost Buster Keaton-like appearance may seem ridiculous, but it carries a deeper sense of gravity. Stylistically and thematically, there are parallels to Apichatpong Weerasethakul's beautiful and thought-provoking art films, and this is certainly a work the Thai cinematic master would appreciate.

Yosep Anggi Noen (b. 1983) is an Indonesian director and producer from Central Java. He started to make short films with his friends during high school and studied at Asian Film Academy in Busan In South-Korea. Since 2009 he has made eight films, and this fall he received a Special Mention at the film festival in Locarno for The Science of Fictions.