Policy Wonks is the debut feature film by Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland-born, Los Angeles-based artist and filmmaker Sean Grattan.
12 years in the making, Policy Wonks is a conceptual pseudo-drama that revolves around the ambitious Bureau of Advancement, a political action group operating in Los Angeles that loves money, guns, and yoga. Mixing philosophical inquiry with political satire, Policy Wonks takes the cold logics of neoliberalism to their cinematic conclusion: relentless exposition twisting through a hollow core of violent irrationality, phony wellness practices, and the cultic adulations of 'exceptional' humans. As the mind-melting ideological landscape unfolds like verbal jelly, the crisp California sky casts bright light over the psychological shadows of the characters.
Policy Wonks premieres in Aotearoa with two screenings in March at venues in Auckland and Wellington. The screenings will be introduced by the artist and be followed by a Q&A.
Screening details
Thursday 13 March: National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema, Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Thursday 20 March: Academy Cinemas, 44 Lorne Street, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Doors open at 5.30pm, screening starts at 6pm. 80 minutes.
Free entry
