Kasiterit
Director: Riar Rizaldi
Country: Indonesia/HK
Duration: 18’’22’
Year: 2019
Country: Indonesia/HK
Duration: 18’’22’
Year: 2019
About the Film
One-third of the global tin supply is extracted from Bangka island in Indonesia. Tin is the most impacted mineral by the upcoming technological One-third of the global tin supply is extracted from Bangka island in Indonesia. Tin is the most impacted mineral by the upcoming technological development, which includes artificial intelligence and technology for renewable energy. Natasha is a solar-powered A.I. voice, and in this film, they trace their genealogy and the truth of their origin; from the capital liquidity to labour dynamic. With their feminised voice—as quite often performed by other AI-powered voice assistants produced by tech-companies, Natasha narrates the emergence of tin in Bangka island and their existence from the perspective of tropical anthropology of nature, value theory, philosophy of time, genetic mutation, geopolitics, and automation.
About the director
Riar Rizaldi works as an artist and filmmaker. Born in Indonesia and currently based in Hong Kong, his main focus is on the relationship between capital and technology, extractivism, and theoretical fiction. Riar has curated ARKIPEL Jakarta International Documentary & Experimental Film Festival — Penal Colony (2017), Internet of (No)Things (2018) at the Jogja National Museum and co-curated Open Possibilities: 'There is not only one neat way to imagine our future' at JCC, Singapore & NTT ICC, Tokyo (2019-2020). His works have been shown at Locarno Film Festival, BFI Southbank London, International Film Festival Rotterdam, NTT InterCommunication Center Tokyo, Centre Pompidou Paris, Times Museum Guangzhou, and National Gallery of Indonesia amongst others.
︎ More about the geopolitical and cultural history of Tin Mining in Riar Rizaldi’s article in Transformations Journal.