Anicka Yi presents The Mermaids, or Aiden in Wonderland, a film by the Indigenous Karrabing Film Collective. The Mermaids, or Aiden in Wonderland is a surrealist exploration of contamination, extractive capitalism, and its impact on human and non-human life. The film transports us to a landscape poisoned by the toxicity of Western colonization and capitalism, where Europeans can no longer survive outdoors. The film follows Aiden, a young Indigenous man who is able to survive long periods outdoors, as he comes up against two possible futures and pasts. Yi’s initial experience with the movie during the Hawai’i Triennial 2022: Pacific Century inspired profound inquiries about the deep time histories of colonialism, migration, and environmental resilience in the Pacific region.
 
The screening is followed by a conversation with Elizabeth Povinelli, Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies at Columbia University.