Sinofuturism 1839 – 2046 AD (2016) Lawrence Lek. The focus of the essay is important and it touches many interesting topics but the film is a tad repetitive. A useful introduction for anyone interested in China and etno-futurisms. The points of the film are said early on and recapped at the end. I particularly liked the bits analysing Chinese/Global gambling.
Eero Yli-Vakkuri
I like the two formulations where afrofuturism translates into a transformative acceleration of slavery in a form of a killer robot, and sinofuturism reforms the myth of submissive work ethics into a future myth of AI. What would be the corresponding post-colonial formulation of finno-ugric ethnofuturism? A drunkard transformed into a human bio-ethanol plant?
You’ve pinned those formulations well! Etnofuturism and scifi seem to give emphasis on stereotypes concerning race, class and local cultures (illustrated through different technological interfaces). In my finno-ugric etnofuturistic vision a clone of Otto Donner is space-explorer who experiments using a bioethanol goo as fuel. As a result of the experiments the bioethanol goo becomes self aware and identifies as the furious Bioethanol Men. They seek revenge. In the climax of the story Donner lures the Bioethanol Men into a space-swamp where they sink. The bioethanol men are saved by the mad scientist Vainamoinen who uses his audio-disruptor to dry the swamp. Together they take revenge on Donner and miniaturise him and capture him inside a comic egg. The Donner Clan bargain with Vainamoinen and trade the captured Otto Donner clone with a sex-robot. The sex-robot destroys itself by flying into a star.
Come to think of it.. Trans-Horse could be read as a finno-ugric etnofuturistic story.
Yes, a finn horse as a space ship is as accurate as it gets! In the future a finn (Donner) goes through a metamorphosis and resurrects as a work horse which has been her subconscious role model all along. And the Trans-Horse movie even uses the same layered aesthetics as the movie above.
And there is Nasa footage too!