Uchronia

In a psychedelic documentary essay inspired by the visionary poem A Season in Hell by Arthur Rimbaud, we meet the spirit of the rebellious French poet who is about to embark on a journey through time. His delirious visions become portals that open alternative timelines – “Uchronia”.[1]

The delirious adventurer Rimbaud gets the chance to meet revolutionary figures such as Emma Goldman, David Wojnarowicz, and Marsha P. Johnson in a “temporal adventure” made possible by the film medium. Together, they explore the possibilities of social change and reflect on the meaning of revolution in the age of shattered illusions and bitter disappointments. A tribute to the rich history of experimental queer film throughout the 20th century. A celebration of enfants terribles and dissident eccentrics around the globe. Uchronia aims to find stimulating connections between Rimbaud’s time and the current political milieu. Can we better understand post-internet apathy and widespread defeatism if we look at it through the eyes of a decadent nineteenth-century poet? Can his critique of national identity and the European concept of barbarism be relevant to studying the European Union’s current turn toward the extreme right? How do we approach queer representation in the mainstream as transphobia runs rampant? Is there a future for queer poets amidst cultural and environmental ruins of hypercapitalism? Dealing with these rhetorical, yet important questions, Uchronia is at the same time an encouraging lesson in counter-history, a synesthetic poem and an exciting fireworks display of colorful effects.

[1] Uchronia (Greek ou – ‘no(n)’, chronos – ‘time’) is a subgenre of speculative fiction and science fiction based on alternative history, exploring fictional worlds created by changing a key historical event.