Kisspeptin Chronicles

Keep Listening. Practice. Practice. Yeah.

Heartbroken, I bought a bottle of wine and drank it walking home. A tipsy journey reconstructed using the Japanese traditional storytelling method "rakugo."

When Tsumire was young, she idolised her older brother, who was always surrounded by other girls, but her affection was met with disdain. As she grows up, the traces of his behaviour linger on. Told with understated, deadpan humour and creative animation, this slightly absurd coming-of-age tale broaches a variety of subjects – from cults and superstition to peer pressure and our self-image – with surprising sensitivity.

Directed by Japanese filmmaker Ryo Orikasa, this animated short was inspired by Henri Michaux’s book of poetry and drawings of the same name, about his experiences with mescaline. The film explores the limits of language and perception, creating connections between sound, meaning, shapes and movement.

I was heading to junior high school one day when my maternal instincts suddenly kicked in. After being held hostage to those urges for a decade, I started to wonder if this feeling was really about motherliness. Virgin birth, genes, pregnancy... I journey through 10 years in search of the maternal.