Cetus Kuo Chin-Yun's film Because Watching Pacifies explores Akha statelessness

Cetus Kuo Chin-Yun's 85-minute film Because Watching Pacifies (2024) centers on an Indigenous Akha woman's personal narrative from the Thai-Myanmar-Lao border region. Her story includes marriage to a Kuomintang soldier, her twin sister's relocation to Taiwan, and village surveillance experiences. The work examines ongoing trauma affecting stateless Akha communities in northern Thailand. Kuo, who divides her time between Berlin and Taipei, produces research-driven video installations and performances that investigate diasporic and postcolonial histories. Her filmmaking process involves on-site development, blending fictional elements with inspiration from real individuals and historical occurrences. The artist's practice consistently explores layered narratives of displacement and colonial legacies through cinematic means.