TIMEBANK THE GAME - THE RECORD OF AN EXPERIMENT, 40min., Hong Kong
Directed by Amy Cheung
One hundred life forms received a distressing signal from the vanished civilization of Pharmakon, learning that Earth is on the verge of self-destruction. Time Lord has devised a way to destabilize time, propelled Earth beings to enter an alternate reality through "THE GAME" – a mysterious portal that reduces them to a single-cell form.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

TimeBank THE GAME initially expanded my MA research project in educational psychology, where I proposed an experimental treatment model fusing serious games and positive psychological principles with new technology to motivate young people to invest time in environmental repair. I then received funding from Hong Kong to implement the idea in the form of an alternate reality game within an immersive exhibition. The film initially documented the project to fulfill the funder's requirements, but then AI video generation technologies emerged and became easy to use. I was incredibly curious to explore AI's big data-driven answers, hoping to see where the "Artificially Intelligent" narrative twist could lead us. Speculating if one day in the future, the residues of our destroyed planet came back through a time portal (THE GAME) to tell us how to survive, would anyone believe that our extinction had been self-directed, and therefore vow to take action?

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

About 2.5 years. The alternate reality game took 1.5 years, and editing and post-production in conjunction with the AI generator took another year.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Speculative Realism.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Without a budget and limited manpower, as there were only 3 people working on it part-time - myself, my script writer/producer, and the cameraman/editor - at one time it seemed like we would never finish it, thanks for our 4th collaborator - the AI video-generator.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

They are very insightful and I was so touched that they got many of my ideas quite accurately.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I always wanted to but I couldn't quite be bothered to learn all the equipments and techniques.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

La Jetée. Every year or two, I rewatch it. In fact, the film's exploration of memory, time, and human experience resonates strongly with the themes I sought to explore in my own film. Chris Marker's ability to convey such a powerful narrative with minimal resources has been a significant inspiration for me. His innovative storytelling techniques deeply engage and provoke thought in the audience, a principle I strive to embody in my projects.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking
career?

I would love to meet filmmakers, producers, and scriptwriters who are interested in topics such as the climate crisis, alternate reality games, positive psychology, time bank, non-material value of meaningful and what motivates our behavioural choices, environmental activism. Hopefully, there will be opportunities for face-to-face meetings in the future.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your
experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Very easy to use. Enjoy it.

10. What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is a "food+live performance" I created with my partner, where we ambushed a morning TV show (we were invited, but they didn't know we were going to perform). Instead of just explaining the dish, we acted out the poetic ingredients in silence and orchestrated the colors, shapes, and forms of the food as if we were painting. The host didn't know what we were doing and panicked. That was my favorite and most unforgettable meal.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Yes, I am planning a new alternate reality game set under the ocean—TimeBank THE GAME 2.0: Bill-the-Lion—a film hopefully created entirely underwater over the course of a year, focusing on THE GAME's portal and temple. I would also like to research the sonic soundscape in order to compose an oceanic interspecies opera as a soundtrack for the film.