Reactivating Histories brings together a series of speculative moving image works that demonstrate the medium’s capacity to preserve, document, and reactivate cultural objects. By reframing history from the personal perspective of each maker working in their present day, the films explore the post-colonial eras in Asia and reflect on the complex efforts of Asian states in constructing their independent nations and national identities.

Tad Ermitaño’s The Retrochronological Transfer of Information (1994) establishes a communication system between past and present as a modern scientist tries to connect with long-deceased Philippine national hero Jose P. Rizal. In Timoteus Anggawan Kusno’s Dear Shadow, My Old Friend (2023), archival black-and-white imagery brings back haunting memories from Dutch colonialism in Indonesia. The post-colonial celebration of national identity is expressed in Tan Pin Pin’s 9th August (2006), which combines 41 years of television footage from Singapore’s National Day Parade, documenting the militaristic and nationalistic tone of the event. In Chanasorn Chaikittiporn’s Here We Are (2023), a montage of found footage and contemporary images of Bangkok reflects on the effect of coloniszation and Cold War politics in Thailand through the accounts of a housekeeper and her filmmaker daughter. Han Ok-hee’s Color of Korea (1976) revisits the country’s modern history and revives cultural traditions through optical effects, colourful imagery, and a dynamic montage. Ayisha Abraham’s I Saw a God Dance (2011) portrays the journey of queer Indian dancer Ram Gopal, combining 8 mm film footage, archival materials, and interviews.