Art College 1994 directed by Liu Jian, and Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV directed by Amanda Kim, will be screened at the ARCA International Festival of Films on Arts which will take place from February 3 – 10, 2024 in Manantiales, Uruguay.

Art College 1994 by Liu Jian – China | 2023 – 118 minutes

1994, the China Academy of Arts campus. As the country opens up to the Western world, a group of students gradually discover adult life where love and friendship are at odds with lofty ideals and personal ambitions. Lost between tradition and modernity, these young people must decide who they want to become. (Annecy2023)

Trailer:

Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV by Amanda Kim – USA, Korea | 2023 – 110 minutes

The South Korean video artist Nam June Paik liked to introduce himself as a “poor man from a poor country”—a curious claim from a man who came from one of Korea’s wealthiest families. He distanced himself from his dominant father, became a Marxist and left for Germany to study music history and composition. In 1958, a performance by the avant-garde composer John Cage marked a turning point in his life. His chance attendance of this concert gave Paik the courage to shape his artistic oeuvre in complete freedom.

The rest is fascinating art history, entertainingly chronicled in this documentary. Like a Greek chorus, art historians, contemporaries and friends sing the praises of Paik’s work, his contribution to the Fluxus movement and his striking personality. “Television is a dictatorial medium,” he believed, with the potential to undermine democracy, just like nationalism and overconfidence in technology. His answers to these threats appear in numerous archival images. Initially, critics accused him of lacking depth and talent. This rich portrait shows that Paik was far ahead of his time. (idfa)

Trailer:

More information: https://arcafilmfestival.com/