Behind the constant development of Chengdu that is changing the face of the city, a nightclub called Funky Town is alive. Located around the construction area, it offers a shelter for young people with a sparkling display of house music and a drag show that shouts freedom of expression with passion. However, like other good things, Funky Town did not last long and was evicted due to the construction of the public transportation infrastructure where the club was built. So, what will happen to those who lived and livened this place up in its heyday?
The Last Year of Darkness (Ben Mullinkosson, 2023) weaves a story of life in that club full of wild youth who perform an attraction every night, listen to music with loud thumping bass, bend an elbow, and forget the problems. Everything they do to pay for the next morning is the reality of a life full of scorn and hardship. Like a circus of reality, they are served spectacular performances every day, even though complicated issues loom behind them.
The cold and harsh realities of life and the escape to the Funky Town shelter are just like a bond that cannot be broken, deepened by a group of protagonists who are also friends of Director Mullinkosson. At the beginning of the film, we meet Yihao Yang, a drag performer with their stories of dealing with childhood trauma and discussing self-existentialism in their adolescent period. We also meet 647, a young man with expertise in skateboarding; fulfilling his daily needs as an online food deliveryman. Throughout the film, they add a splash of color that makes the film feel animated.
In addition, The Last Year of Darkness (2023) also features the romance of life that colors the journey of Kimberly and her lover, Xiao Long. Kimberly struggled with mental health and confidence she had experienced since a young age. In Funky Town, Kimberly befriends Darkle, a confident DJ and a pioneering queer DJ together with Gena, a Russian DJ who is still exploring her sexual orientation.
As in David Bowie’s song, “Life on Mars?”––accompanying Yihao’s drag show––real life and its chaos is often disappointing, leading people to find another way to escape. The Last Year of Darkness (2023) provides a space for reflection for its protagonists to reflect on this series of life. Everything that is exhibited on the screen is not a splash of color that spoils the eye, but also a reflection of how a fantasy realm and reality are important in how we express ourselves through life choices. Sometimes, in life, there is pride, regret, and doubt.
At the end of the day, can those who live under Funky Town still be there to live another day? Or will they be displaced and fall into despair in the circus of real life? (Gantar Sinaga) (Ed. Vanis/Trans. Shafira Rahmasari)
Film Details
The Last Year of Darkness (午夜出走)
Ben Mullinkosson | 95 Min | 2023 | China, United States
Official Selection for Utopia/Dystopia
Festival Film Dokumenter 2024
Screening Schedule
Nov. 6 | 19:00 WIB | IFI-LIP
