RELIC

RELIC, a suite of four short films by British artist Larry Achiampong, is now streaming on the Criterion Channel. The shorts contemplate colonialism and the African diaspora with a slight sci-fi bent. The series, which follows a “traveller”—a young Black boy outfitted in a spacesuit—as he traverses empty landscapes, is fairly light on plot but big on cinematics. The young protagonist’s exploration is backed by a lyrical letter read by an anonymous narrator and a mesmerizing, pulsating electronic score. These elements coalesce to create a moving piece of visual poetry. And, if you don’t have Criterion, I still recommend browsing Achiampong’s works on his website.

—Nolan Russell, Executive Assistant