To see and be seen: behind this superficial idiom lies far more than mere vanity. It is the profoundly human need to be recognised and accepted for who we truly are. The antithesis of this recognition is systematic or existential invisibility. Whether through social exclusion or radical loneliness, the fear of remaining unseen touches upon our elementary urge to exist in a meaningful form.

An empty room, paint peeling from the walls. A small window provides the only source of warm light. THE CATCHER has been summoned here on government orders. There are whispers of an invisible, sickening danger. He places a thin-barred cage on the floor, fills a bowl with grain, and sits down beside it to wait. Very faintly, the call of a songbird can be heard amidst the bleakness of the room, yet it remains hidden. This supposed danger is so small it could fit in the palm of a hand, and it will only be seen once: after the invisible bird has been caught, after it has been drowned. A piece of photographic evidence, post mortem. Only the film is capable of capturing the colourful plumage—once the song has already fallen silent.

The curtain rises. There they stand: the dignitaries, lined up in front of a compulsively cheerful, light-blue photo wallpaper. On their heads, they proudly wear the red ceremonial caps bestowed upon them by the government. They stand for history, honour, and hope; the caps and the people, in that order. One should be proud of this honour, insists the garish propaganda of Chinese state television blaring through the small workers’ café. The gentleman at the bar turns the volume up even further; he wants to hear every word. Before him stands a glass of hot water – so hot it steams, and one would hardly dare touch it. But the gentleman is older; he has been served much in his time, and drinking boiling water no longer daunts him. After all, it is well known that drinking water at BOILING POINT prolongs life.

Look behind the facade of reality: where the lines between the lens and the world blur, 52 international competition films await discovery.