The latest project from Asif Kapadia positions him not just as a filmmaker but as a chronicler of contemporary unease. Known for reshaping the documentary genre through works like Senna, Amy, and Diego Maradona, Kapadia’s most recent film, 2073, merges documentary and fiction to confront political surveillance, technological dominance, and democratic erosion. Set in a speculative future called New San Francisco, the film constructs a dystopian scenario that is deeply anchored in real-world events and imagery.
Rather than relying on hypothetical science fiction aesthetics, 2073 utilizes present-day footage to comment on the state of the world. The protagonist, Ghost—played by Samantha Morton—navigates a bleak landscape where constant surveillance and authoritarian control are everyday realities. Ghost remains voiceless throughout the film, her story told through an internal monologue and visual fragments of oppression and resistance. This creative decision echoes the broader themes of silencing and visibility that permeate Kapadia’s career and personal history.
Asif Kapadia has drawn from personal experiences in shaping 2073. After 9/11, he was repeatedly subjected to scrutiny while traveling, often flagged and detained due to his background. These encounters, lasting for nearly a decade, influenced his depiction of profiling and suspicion in the film. The narrative’s power is heightened by the real-life connections, reflecting his longstanding awareness of systemic bias and its intersection with technology and identity.
In crafting 2073, Asif Kapadia incorporated interviews and media fragments from political journalists and human rights activists, weaving them into the fictional timeline as “time capsules.” These voices—including figures such as Maria Ressa and Rana Ayyub—underline the global scope of the film’s commentary, connecting events in India, the Philippines, and the United States. By integrating these figures, Kapadia underlines the international scale of techno-authoritarian practices, emphasizing that they are not speculative threats but present realities.
One of the film’s most daring elements is its critique of the very platforms on which it might be distributed. Despite containing critical portrayals of prominent tech industry figures like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Peter Thiel, 2073 secured distribution through mainstream platforms, including Amazon. This paradox serves to reinforce the film’s thesis: those who dominate technology also shape the narratives consumed by the public.
Kapadia’s interest in outsiders remains a recurring motif. Ghost, like many of his past subjects, embodies a figure isolated from power but profoundly shaped by its reach. His storytelling is rooted in themes of resistance and identity, drawn from his upbringing in Hackney, where his political consciousness was shaped by his sisters’ influence and personal experiences of marginalization.
2073 marks a departure from Kapadia’s previous stylistic choices. Whereas earlier films eschewed traditional interviews in favor of archival immersion, his latest work embraces overt political commentary and direct representation. The fusion of documentary insight with speculative fiction expands the possibilities of narrative cinema while remaining grounded in urgent global concerns.
This dual approach—of blending personal narrative, political critique, and artistic experimentation—positions 2073 as a unique artifact in Asif Kapadia’s body of work. It amplifies a message that resonates across borders and disciplines: the dangers of surveillance, the fragility of democracy, and the consequences of collective inaction. In doing so, Kapadia once again demonstrates his capacity to innovate within genre while challenging the boundaries of storytelling itself.