Manufactured Landscapes

I can't remember I ever spent chinese new year this way before. I couldn't remember when was new year eve. Had 355ml of bitter beer down my stomach, stored up spicy tofu, cakes, oily dumplings at 5pm while I barely finished my lunch at 2. I felt positively empty and bored as I inched my way home in thick snow after a whole day lab, thinking about steamboat tomorrow while in fact it was yesterday as I am speaking now. I slept through new year eve without knowing it was new year eve and woke up without knowing anything. 24 hours later, another day passed. It was bleak, surreal, calming in a way I don't have to pass any positive or negative judgment. Bleak because I've never spent chinese new year alone so I guess for a starter, it did feel bleak. Then the night went on and I feel normal again, just like any other day.

Watched a documentary movie called 'manufactured landscapes' in Bloor cinema, one of the oldest and most traditional cinemas in Toronto (or Canada?) where avant garde and non mainstream films are introduced to the audience. The cinema was spacious and two tiered. It was never filled as far as I know. I wonder if people come here planned knowing what they want to watch and what time the show starts. Mostly passers-by like myself would occasionally stall and scan through the day's schedule, hit by a sudden whim of fancy to sit through a movie that has good reviews, weird titles or totally nothing you're sure of. You step on the garnet ornate carpet looking around in darkness choosing the best seat. No commercials or trailers before the actual movie. The velvety curtains are tightly drawn and audience are scarce. We sat leisurely in our seats waiting for the curtains to rise.

And then 10 minutes rolling of a chinese factory, abuzz with machine churnings and endless rows of robotic workers busy assembling gadgets. It took some time before I related it back to the title 'Manufactured Landscapes'. It was indeed a totally different landscape, an artificial world not too far away from the dark side of 'A.I.'

loading. Here're some still pictures from the photographer Edward Burtynsky. The movie follows his journey to China and Bangladesh where the bulk was filmed.









GC's new single is already available online. Leechers everywhere. c/w mawari machi (the winding path) is really nice. I like the sudden change in rhythm after a brief intro.