Double Helix

Language: Mandarin, with English subtitles

生命之歌

UK Premiere

Synopsis Late at night, sister Yun and brother Yuan escape from their own house. The two trekked to an abandoned school. From there, they enter a mysterious journey and conflict.

Director’s Statement The film is based on the famous science fiction novel Song of Life by Wang Jinkang. While there are often films about robots rebelling against humans, this film places this confrontation within a Chinese family in order to dramatise the conflict. Does mechanical education trigger an intelligence’s awakening? Will the awakening intelligence lead to destruction or rebirth? In this film, the weak bond between humans and robots is put to the test. Maybe symbiotic resonance between robots will become the future one day.

Curators’ Notes This film could be seen as an anti-Frankenstein tale: the AI is abused by humanity - a scenario made especially disturbing by Yun and Yuan’s extreme lifelikeness. Double Helix explores the existential and the most relevant philosophical debate to date. It unravels the workings of hostile family life in a gripping and non-linear narrative. This is a firecracker of contemporary Chinese sci-fi. You will be mesmerised by its sombre camera work and arresting editing.