Uchronia

In this docu-essay inspired by Arthur Rimbaud’s “Une Saison en Enfer”, we meet the French poet’s ghost embarking on a time-travel adventure. His delirious visions become portals opening onto alternative timelines – or “uchronias”. Rimbaud gains the opportunity to meet revolutionary figures such as Emma Goldman, David Wojnarowicz and Marsha P. Johnson. Together, they explore the possibility of social change and reflect on the meaning of revolution in times of disillusionment. Inspired by the rich history of 20th-century experimental queer cinema, the film is a celebration of enfants terribles and dissident freaks across the globe.
 
Ultimately, the film considers the current political milieu and its parallels with Rimbaud’s own time. Could post-internet ennui and widespread defeatism be understood through the eyes of a late 19th-century decadent poet? Can his critique of national identity and European concepts of barbarism be relevant to today’s far-right EU turn? How do we navigate mainstream queer visibility while transphobia remains rampant?
Dealing with these rhetorical yet pertinent questions, the film is simultaneously an alternative history, a synesthetic poem and a rollercoaster of affect.