2073 Review: Asif Kapadia Rages Against the Death of Democracy and Earth

Asif Kapadia dives deep into significant topics in his vehement drama-doc fantasy 2073, which runs just 85 minutes. The film tackles climate change, corporate fascism, and the global erosion of democracy. At times, the result may seem strident or redundant, possibly to emphasize the critical importance of these issues.

The film addresses the elephant in the room—the insidious reduction of our freedoms. By confronting it directly, it arguably sacrifices subtlety and nuance. This approach stands in contrast to Kapadia’s previous films about pop-culture icons like Diego Maradona and Amy Winehouse, which adopted a more approachable style. While these previous works seemed more seamless, the force and relevance of 2073 cannot be denied.

2073 is a somber futurist reverie, broadly inspired by Chris Marker’s La Jetée. Samantha Morton stars as a woman in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a survivor living hand-to-mouth. She periodically cranks up a wind-up torch and contemplates how things deteriorated to this point. The narrative then blends present-day news archive footage with contemporary climate catastrophes. Some of this footage is familiar, juxtaposed with ominous images of global police crackdowns on protests.

The film features a grim gallery of mediocre plutocrats like Modi, Xi, Trump, Putin, and Orbán, along with their tech enablers such as Bezos and Zuckerberg. Together, they form a military-industrial complex of power, both soft and hard. These billionaires align with ruthless nationalist strongmen, promoting belligerent paranoia while the Earth heats up to unbearable levels.

Kapadia includes comments from political observers like George Monbiot and Anne Applebaum. Their voiceovers add substance to the film, even though it might have benefited from allowing their critiques to develop more fully. Nevertheless, their presence is strongly felt. 2073 is a cry of rage against the authoritarian forces spoiling our democracy and environment, underscored by the naive complacency that enables it.

• 2073 screened at the Venice Film Festival.