The Iron Ministry

As commuters, we spend a lot of time in a train together with strangers, sharing the experience of being on the move. Time seems to run differently as we have no control over the duration of the journey, everyone equally surrendering to the wait. In this almost alternate universe, subtle and ephemeral moments of intimacy are shared between the travellers.

The Iron Ministry, directed by J.P. Sniadecki, is an expansive portrait of contemporary China as observed in the cramped compartments of its trains. Although shot over three years and dozens of rides, the documentary seamlessly unfolds as a single voyage on China’s sizeable rail network, as we witness fleeting relationships and uneasy encounters between various travellers.

The film moves from wagon to wagon, swerving to the rhythm of the train, from packed corridors filled with passengers and merchandise as to almost empty wagons in modern high-speed trains. We are gradually introduced to the people who ride and work the trains. Little by little, the passengers begin to speak about their country, their lives, and their dreams for the future.

Sensory Ethnography Lab

J.P. Sniadecki is a filmmaker and anthropologist active in the United States and China and an affiliate of the Sensory Ethnography Lab at Harvard University. Founded in 2006, the Sensory Ethnography Lab has reshaped the genre of the observational documentary, turning out films that challenge preconceived notions of ethnography, art and cinema. “If life is messy and unpredictable, and documentary is a reflection of life, should it not be digressive and open-ended too?”

The film will be introduced by Kato van der Speeten, curator of Architectures of Intimacy.