Leviathan Cycle (2017–) envisages a future eerily like our present, whose inhabitants are the survivors of a cataclysmic solar event. The episodes are developed by Dawood in dialogue with a wide range of marine biologists, oceanographers, political scientists, philosophers, neurologists and trauma specialists. Each film – of which five are now complete – is written from the point of view of an individual character, and their fictional narratives are carefully interwoven with archival footage, linking the looming spectre of climate breakdown to human-scale stories.
Episode 5: Ismael (2018)
Our protagonists are taken captive aboard a gigantic cargo ship, whose megalomaniacal captain Ismael entertains biblical pretensions. Ben is made to ‘pay his passage’, while a ghostly Yasmine stalks the empty corridors of the ship. Whales and whaling become a key subject – interrogating colonial and indigenous politics in the process.
This screening is part of a special Leviathan Broadcast Season staged in collaboration with ArtReview, Modern Forms, David Roberts Art Foundation and The Ryder.
Episodes will be screened weekly here and as part of ArtReview’s Movie Club
Every Thursday for five weeks: Look out for a series of weekly posts on The Ryder’s Instagram, where Shezad will answer questions with special guests, in connection with his solo show at The Ryder, Leviathan: Dreams of a future past -now extended until 31 July.
For updates, follow @leviathancycle on Instagram and Twitter and @artreview_magazine @modern_forms @draf_art and @the_ryder_projects.
