Who really benefits from technological progress? In Silent Engine, Korean interdisciplinary artist Kahee Jeong uses image and sound to examine the growing digital divide and the exclusivity of our technological future, revealing its impact on society.
Inspired by thinkers such as Seneca, Alvin Toffler and Bernard Stiegler, Jeong reflects on the societal repercussions of an inability to adapt to rapid technological advances. Emotional consequences – alienation, stigma and fear – manifest acutely among vulnerable groups, including the elderly, low-income individuals, and those with limited educational opportunities.
Jeong’s multidisciplinary work investigates the psychological and social impacts of ‘digital deprivation.’ Silent Engine challenges the assumption that technological progress is universally beneficial, instead highlighting its role in amplifying inequality and undermining diversity – key elements for a resilient society.
Through its composition Silent Engine acts as a metaphorical ‘silent engine,’ quietly propelling the forces that reshape our hyper-connected world. It invites audiences to confront the often-invisible divisions within the structure of our modern lives.
Kahee Jeong is an artist in residence at IFFR 2025. This residency is a collaboration with V2_Lab for Unstable Media, where artists are invited to explore the cross-fertilisation between film and media art.
– Eva Langerak
Trailer
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Film details
- Countries of production
- South Korea, Netherlands, Germany
- Year
- 2025
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2025
- Length
- 15'
- Medium/Format
- Other
