U-Turn

Director: Adam Kossoff

Year: 2022

We follow the constantly shifting Thames downstream, in all its infinite richness, acknowledging how human intervention has shaped it, but also how the river continues to influence the lives of those who live around it, from source to mouth.

Director: Adam Kossoff

Year: 2018

A fictionalised documentary essay, tracing the politics of the Thames River, from colonialism to global financialisation, through the prism of Joseph Conrad’s 'Heart of Darkness'. Two unseen people meet in Shoeburyness, where the Thames River meets the North Sea. With a visually distinctive use of tableau shots of locations along the Thames, they narrate their journey to London’s Docklands. The woman quotes from 'Heart of Darkness', but instead of travelling up the Congo River into the heart of Africa, their journey ends in the heart of London’s Docklands, where contemporary darkness reigns. A self-proclaimed ‘accelerationist’, the woman plans to destroy the financial district and accelerate capitalism towards its end, while the man is more concerned for the ecology of the river and our debt to nature.

Director: Ka Ki Wong

Year: 2026

In present-day Taipei, Tao develops unexplainable affectionate feelings for Shin, an indifferent guy. Desperate to create lasting memories, she sends people to beat him up, using pain as a twisted form of connection. Meanwhile, Melih, having left Istanbul for Taipei, owns a noodle shop. One night, he receives an unexpected flower from the perpetually drunk Ping. Melih begins to stare into the flower from time to time, experiencing the tale of Tao and Shin and revealing his own unspoken desire and failed attempts to connect with Ping. As Melih digs deeper into the tale, he confronts his struggles to form meaningful relationships. His struggle gradually mirrors Tao’s struggle with Shin. As Tao grows closer to Shin, Shin vanishes, leaving Tao to realize that these recollections, retained only by her, might be mere figments of imagination. Tao’s tale then makes Melih question if it’s better to forget everything, as he contemplates whether letting go of solitary memories might finally bring him peace. Official selection CPH:DOX Copenhagen International Documentary Festival 2026 - Next:Wave Competition (World Premiere)