“Fresh Kill is a celebration of multicultural diversity . . . in a world whose existence is endangered by ever expanding pollution of the mind as well as the planet.”—Los Angeles Times
Fresh Kill is a highly stylized and satirical attack on neo-liberal reality. The child of a young lesbian couple living on Staten Island mysteriously vanishes after consuming radiated fish. The battle to find the missing child and the culprits responsible for the disappearance is joined by a group of cyber-warriors. Everyone finds themselves ensnared in a vast conspiracy involving a ghost ship of nuclear refuse, ominous media messages, and deadly cat food.
The title Fresh Kill is inspired by the name of the world’s largest waste dump landfill on Staten Island. The original film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 1994 and the restoration on this new 35mm print was conducted by the Fales Library & Special Collections of New York University with a National Film Preservation Fund grant under the technical supervision of BB Optics, NYC.
The film is directed by 2024 LG Guggenheim Award winner Shu Lea Cheang and stars Sarita Choudhury (recently appearing in the acclaimed Showtime series Homeland). 1994, U.S., 35mm, 80 minutes.
Cinema + with a post-screening discussion with director Shu Lea Cheang in person.