In the second half of May, Kai Cinema will present a film program curated by artist Paul Kuimet, created in dialogue with the exhibition “Exploded View”. The films will be screened over four evenings and form part of the exhibition’s public programme.

The second weekend of the special program opens with “Elephant” (2003) by legendary indie director Gus van Sant -a film shot in a documentary‑like style that depicts a fictional school shooting in an American high school. Moving at a calm, unhurried pace, the film follows the ordinary day of several students as it drifts toward an inevitable and tragic finale, examining the roots of violence through an everyday and deliberately distanced perspective.

 

The screenplay is inspired by the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, still one of the deadliest school shootings in the United States. Gus Van Sant’s film addresses adolescent mental health, isolation, and gun violence. The acclaimed American independent filmmaker, recipient of numerous awards, offers no simple answers.

 

The title refers to an old English idiom suggesting that it is easier to ignore the elephant in the room than to start poking at it. That same “elephant” we prefer not to see still stands in the middle of the room today, decades later.

 

This is a low‑budget film shot in just 20 days, featuring high‑school students instead of professional actors. The film won the Palme d’Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, and Van Sant also received the award for Best Director.

 

There is an introduction from the artist Paul Kuimet before the screening.

 

The entrance is with exhibition ticket. Tickets can be bought from the internet or at Kai. There are also limited number of program passes that grant access to all four screenings as well as the exhibition.

 

The program includes:
16.05 at 18:00 Aki Kaurismäki “The Other Side of Hope” (2017)
17.05 at 18:00 “Fragments: A Selection of Artists’ Films” (2011–2026)
23.05 at 18:00 Gus Van Sant “Elephant” (2003)
24.05 at 18:00 Rirkrit Tiravanija “Karl’s Perfect Day” (2017)

All films are screened with English subtitles.

 

Genre: drama, crime
Duration: 1h 21m
Country: USA, 2003
Director: Gus van Sant
Cast: Elias McConnell, Alex Frost, Eric Deulen
Language: English, German
Subtitles: English