Chaotic Memories: Selected Works 2010-2013

This selection was especially compiled for IFFR from the short experimental work of the Indonesian critic/curator/director Paul Agusta, several of whose full-length films have been screened in Rotterdam in recent years. The selection includes more traditional narratives as well as radical compositions, but it is always intensely personal.
The contorted and coloured forms in the eight clips that make up Controlled Chaos refer to Agusta’s own experiences, with which the maker strives for a catharsis while also wanting to let others share his feelings. It’s not for the first time. With The Very Bottom of Everything in 2010 he had already created a visual portrayal of a relative with manic depression. Memory Room, part of Chaotic Memories, goes a step further than Controlled Chaos. A man in a room looks for a way out but remains imprisoned amongst objects from the past. Memory Room not only shows negative emotions but also analyses how they prevent us from growing.