» The Curator Ghost

The Curator Ghost is a time-based artwork set in a future Vietnam. This monochrome fantasy film resembles a spy thriller and begins in 2075. Within this dreamlike realm, “data caskets” preserve memories of the deceased and are accessed from a state-operated control room. Cyborgs drive the story by exploring libraries and the private thoughts of regenerated brains. The film’s main characters are three agents born in different eras who interact and travel through time.

Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran’s use of photomontage, animation, and reenactment builds a compelling portrait of Nghiem Tham (1920-1979), who served as Director of Vietnam’s National Museum of History. The Curator Ghost is steeped in the aesthetics and multiculturalism of Tham’s lifetime, while integrating content sourced from cyberpunk cinema and various archives. Though the precise circumstances of his death remain unknown, Tham produced findings that pulse with energy when visualized on-screen. Fragmented idols from the Oc Eo and Cham cultures flash and then disappear in an instant as brilliant artifacts of the ancient Funan civilization connecting East and West on the maritime Silk Road.

(Text courtesy Laura Blereau)