Buffering 窗外 2003

“Buffering…” is a story about love and loneliness, location and dislocation without actual places.  It is the journey of Alex and Ricky in search for each otherÌs existence.

Starring Hong Kong’s popular musician Chet Lam and Alex Inderkum (Mr. Gay Switzerland), and directed by Kit Hung, a major talent in the world of queer experimental cinema. Buffering is a poetic, romantic, yet bittersweet journey about searching for one’s presence in the digital age. Ricky lives inside a cube (computer). Alex lives in a cube also (a small room in a rural town in Switzerland). These two guys from different parts of the world became connected with a ordinary rock.

Through the negotiation of this new found communication, the film explores Alex’s attempts at communicating with things in which he receives no response (i.e. air, emotion, time) as well as his continuing search for Ricky in his dreams. This equilibrium makes Ricky’s digital existence capable of reaching Alex.

Following a dream sequence between Alex (Inderkum) and Ricky (Lam), we observe AlexÌs first glance of Ricky on the train.  The film opens with this ordinary question, but answers with a complicated reply.

Ricky lives inside a cube, much likes that of a desktop on a computer.  Hovering in an isolated dark flame within the film, this cube is RickyÌs home and means of accessing, via a permeable screen, sights and sounds from around the world.

Alex lives in a cube also, a small room in a rural town in Switzerland.  One day, when Alex is on his way to catch a bus with his friend Priska, he finds an interesting rock along the roadside that has a small hole in the middle clustered with small crystals.

Ricky, haunted by the sound of a mobile phone ringing, has been sleeping on buses and trains in an attempt to avoid the annoying noise, however, when Ricky awakes, he always finds himself immediately back inside the cube.  Eventually he realizes that the ring tone is coming not from within his cube, but from outside the frame from Alex’s bedroom.

“Hello!” Ricky yells from his desktop cube.  His voice rings out from the rock, which Alex has placed on his windowsill.  Shocked, Alex holds the stone in his hand and replies, “Is it a wireless speaker?”

So the story begins with these two guys from different parts of the world who become connected by this ordinary rock.  Through the negotiation of this new found communication, the film explores AlexÌs attempts at communicating with things in which he receives no response (i.e. air, emotion, time) as well as his continuing search for the individual in his dreams, Ricky.

Alex writes letters to the ephemeral and inanimate, which he finds is similar to his communication with the rock (also similar to conversation made over a web cam). These events lead to the combining of Alex and RickyÌs bodies, both becoming digitized under the effects of the sharp and unapproachable technology.

By the end, this equilibrium makes Ricky’s digital body or existence more capable of reaching AlexÌs natural form.

Films Details

Director: Kit Hung

Writer: Kit Hung

Cast: Chet Lam, Alex Inderkum

Main Cast

Chet Lam was born in Hong Kong, 1976. Singer-songwriter (Warner Music Hong Kong), versatile live performer and amateur actor, Chet is said to be the most promising Hong Kong musician among the young generation. He writes songs for major Canto and Mando pop stars including Eason Chan, Kelly Chan, Shino and Karen Mok. He worked in numerous collaborations with other musicians and artists for independent and mainstream market. His debut movie “I AM NOT WHAT YOU WANT” directed by Kit Hung made a blast on the Hong Kong gay scene and independent movie community, and have been screened all over the world. His debut album “pillow songs” have sold over 20,000 copies in Hong Kong. In 2003 he was invited to compose the theme song for Warner Brothers’ first Chinese international film project “Turn Left, Turn Right”. “Buffering…” is his second short video.

Alex Inderkum, 1st runner up of Mr. Gay Switzerland 2001. Alex was born in a beautiful village, Schattdorf in the center of Switzerland in 1983. Different from the ordinary teenagers in Switzerland, Alex is active in working for the homosexual communities in his neighborhood. He is the co-finder of the first gay group “na-und” in canton URI in Switzerland, and has represented the canto in the coming out day in Lucerne, Switzerland. He just finished his training as Chemistry assistant in summer 2002, and is continuing his study in Chinese medicine and Astrology. He likes to play volleyball and will become soon a diploma in Astrology. In 4 years, he will become a diploma as nature physician in alternative medicine. Buffering is his debut video.

Justin McGrath is a Chicago-based electronic musician with a strong interest in film scoring and sound design. He started out doing music under the name Polyfuse around the age of 16, which was his first solo studio project. When performing, Polyfuse featured various combinations of a live acoustic drummer, female vocals, a violinist as well as featuring Justin on electronic equipment. Soon Justin became interested in adding his songs and sounds to films which led him to Columbia College Chicago to major in Audio for the Visual Medium. Put together the most avant-garde music genre nowadays (IDM, microsound, electronica and trance), Justin produced an immersive, organic yet electronic soundtrack for his debut movie project, “Buffering…”.

Selected Screenings:
2004 International Film Festival Rotterdam, Holland
2004 Version 04: Invisible Networks Media Art Festival, Chicago, USA
2004 Art In Motion, International Festival of Time-Base Media, USA
2004 Competition section, Turin G&L international Film Festival, Italy
2004 Taipei Film Festival, Taiwan
2004 Korean Net Film Festival, Seoul, Korea
2004 Film Festival of Globalization, Amsterdam, Holland
2003 Hong Kong Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
2003 Chinese Independence Film Showcase, Hong Kong
2003 Reel Asian Toronto International Asian Film Festival, Canada
2003 Viper Basel, Switzerland

Award
2004 Jury Special Mention, Turin G&L International Film Festival Italy