‘2073’ Review: Asif Kapadia Conjures a Taut Sci-Fi Thriller in a Post-Apocalyptic World | Venice

We often associate the term dystopia with films or novels, fictional stories detached to some degree from our reality, but perhaps we already reside within one and have done so for a while. This is one of the many feelings that you walk away upholding following Asif Kapadia’s latest project, 2073. Considering his portfolio of documentaries primarily focused on famed figures, including the Oscar-winning doc Amy, an acclaimed portrait of the legendary musician’s life, this latest politically charged project marks a new venture for Kapadia in numerous ways. 

From the outset, 2073 ponders on the dangers and importance of being able to distinguish fiction and reality. On one hand, both of these opposing concepts are integral to the film’s structure as a whole. We are shown reality through the documentary aspects while also viewing the future through the lens of science fiction. On the other hand, misinformation continues to run rampant within social and traditional media, leaving people with varying levels of media literacy to fend for themselves. The difference with the former is that we are never convinced to accept this depiction of the future as fact, but rather as a cautionary interpretation of what could happen if we don’t hold those in power accountable for their polarising distortion of reality. As the film states on multiple occasions, humans will never be able to inhabit a shared reality without three integral things; facts, truth, and trust. 

The first images we are presented appear so dire that they initially look fabricated, but soon register the encompassing man made environmental chaos, which humans have bestowed upon our planet. The climate crisis is one of four prominent themes that emerge throughout the elements of this film rooted in reality, with the others being the rise of authoritarianism, advances in technology, and the breakdown of democracy. Investigation into the ethnic cleansing of Uyghur Muslims in China and Palestinians by Israel shifts into conversations about political dictators and the multi-billionaire tech moguls who have contributed to how we are surveilled. It is impressive just how much Kapadia can squeeze into a compact 85-minute runtime. Along the way we are introduced to journalists, some who are experts in their field and others who have been persecuted for challenging the corrupt systems in their respective countries. 

These pressing issues documented in 2073 are all incredibly relevant and substantial in their own right and for that reason, are conventionally tackled in individually focused documentaries. Considering the concise length, it would be foolish to expect a completely comprehensive dive into each of these subjects, yet it manages to convey what is needed with efficient specificity. Despite the fact it can feel like a constant bombardment of information, the reminder that all of these calamitous affairs are occurring concurrently on a global scale is rather stirring. 

The science fiction component of the film centres around Ghost (Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton) and her life in a post-apocalyptic district known as New San Francisco. She is a scavenger who resides in the remains of a derelict mall with other settlers, some of which are sentient AI in the form of human bodies. The tipping point for how the world reached this state of disrepair is known as ‘The Event,’ which may sound like a singular incident but is later revealed to simply have been the culmination of the world’s political and environmental ailments thirty-seven years earlier. 

Using the medium of voiceover, she recounts her grandmother’s sentiment that soon there will be no past as those in power seek to destroy records in a bid to erase any information that could be used to revolt. While Ghost often dumpster dives in search of scraps to live off of, she also collects objects to learn about Earth’s fleeting history. The only sincere interaction we ever see her have is with Professor (Naomi Ackie), who shortly after mysteriously disappears at the hands of an all knowing and surveilled state. 

Though the fictional segments of the film are undoubtedly weaker and feels like a rehashing of the plethora of dystopian sci-fi stories that came before it, interwoven with the documentary footage, Ghost’s life story becomes haunting. This is a film that feels accessible and knows the audience is yearning to reach, exposing them to the things that may not be seen by the naked eye. Even when it can feel like guilt tripping urging people to make change it’s a reminder of the collective action problem at hand, where nothing will ever be accomplished if everyone sits back and waits for others to make the first move. At its conclusion we are not left with the message ‘I hope someone finds this,’ but a yearning for this film to make even the smallest of differences. 

Grade: B+

This review is from the 2024 Venice Film Festival where 2073 premiered out of competition. NEON will release the film theatrically in the U.S.