Utopians

Utopians, Scud’s 6^th film, is about sexual repression and liberation, homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality, religious belief and civil doctrine, honesty and hypocrisy, dreams, legends and realities.

What can happen if Mishima Yukio meets Socrates? Hins, a dreamy boy who indulges in literature and thirsts for philosophy, is overwhelmed by a charismatic teacher Antonio, dragging his religious girlfriend Joey together into uncharted territories. The intriguing appearance of Swan, an elegant and intellectual lady, only adds to their entanglement of spirit and lust. Seemingly their love for art and wisdom would lead them to a surreal poetic life in an unrestrained Utopia amid the earthen world, yet what stands in the way is a lifetime secret and a lie of heart.

Running Time: 87mins
Written, produced and directed by SCUD
Cinematography by Nathan Wong/ Art Direction & Costume Design by Irving Cheung / Music by Ho Shan / Edited by Matthew Hui

Main Cast
Adonis H./ Jackie Chow/ Moe Chin/ Fiona Wang/Shui Jie/ Eric Cheng/ William Tang/ Wong He/ Vinci Wong

• 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam– Official Selection and Focus Director
• 2^ndNew Director Film Festival – Official Selection & Best Foreign Film Director
• 27^thPalm Springs International Film Festival – Official Selection
• 13^thOutfest Fusion LGBT People of Color Film Festival – Official Selection
• 31^stTorino Gay & Lesbian Film Festival – Official Selection
• 27^thHong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival – Official Selection
• 52^ndChicago International Film Festival – Official Selection
• 6^thFringe! Queer Film& Arts fest – Official Selection

“Love and Death meet again in Utopians. Hins, a dreamy student with a passion for literature and a thirst for a deeper understanding of life finds himself overwhelmed by Antonio and Swan, a charismatic teacher and his elegant assistant. Charmed by their love for art and wisdom, Hins plunges into the uncharted waters of spiritual learning and the pleasures of the flesh, taking his religious girlfriend Joey along for the ride.

Utopians resumes Scud’s meditation on the true notion of home and belonging to a place that permeates Permanent Residence (2008), and moves towards the idea that Utopia could be a place on Earth, a safe harbour for the soul to breathe freely – only to find it in Bangkok. In a way foreshadowing Thirty Years of Adonis (2017) and Apostles (2022), his two following films, Scud here places his literary and philosophical fervours into the narrative equation. Moreover, in Utopians, he also lets his cinephilic inspirations fly free, mainly playing around with hints and references to Pasolini and Greenaway.

For those unfamiliar with Scud’s favoured mise-en-scène, the film is also rich with naked people and explicit sex.

– kijA”

Information Sources: IFFR 2024

More：Adonis He / Moe Chin / William Lo / Pao Jung Jen / Hong Lau / Simon Tam / Derek Lai