Memory and Surveillance in the Cinematic Universe of Asif Kapadia
Asif Kapadia’s latest film, 2073, operates on the border between documentary and speculative fiction, constructing a world that reflects the dangers of unchecked surveillance and digital authoritarianism. In this imagined future, society is governed by biometric control, and public spaces are dominated by drones and facial recognition cameras. Yet, rather than creating a distant dystopia, Kapadia assembles a narrative stitched from the present—using real footage of political unrest, climate devastation, and data profiling to underline that this future is not imagined, but already in motion.
The film’s central character, Ghost, embodies the consequences of systemic observation. Voiceless in public but articulate in private thought, she moves through a world haunted by state power. Played by Samantha Morton, Ghost’s silence becomes a resistance strategy, avoiding digital detection while reflecting the erasure experienced by many under surveillance regimes. Her story is interspersed with documentary footage, which Kapadia calls “time capsules,” anchoring the fiction in contemporary facts—from crackdowns in Gaza and Hong Kong to the rise of populist leaders and social media-fueled disinformation.
Asif Kapadia’s personal encounters with surveillance shape the emotional intensity of 2073. After 9/11, Kapadia was repeatedly stopped while traveling to the United States, placed on a watch list, and required to justify his presence even while working on award-winning projects. These experiences of racial profiling and bureaucratic suspicion laid the groundwork for the film’s portrayal of institutional distrust. His discomfort with being watched informs the narrative’s undercurrent of paranoia and the protagonist’s attempts to remain invisible in a hyper-monitored society.
This unease is extended through the film’s criticism of the power wielded by Silicon Valley. Figures like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel are featured prominently, not as fictional characters, but as real agents of global change whose decisions shape both politics and technology. Kapadia includes them deliberately, challenging the platforms on which his film will be shown. In doing so, 2073 becomes not only a story about surveillance, but a case study in the compromises and contradictions faced by artists working within commercial ecosystems.
Kapadia’s career has always gravitated toward the stories of outsiders. Whether examining the lives of Ayrton Senna, Amy Winehouse, or Diego Maradona, he seeks out subjects who challenge dominant narratives. Ghost follows this pattern—an observer of collapse, a survivor of control, and a voice that echoes the silencing of dissenters worldwide. Her journey mirrors the experiences of real figures Kapadia profiles, such as Maria Ressa in the Philippines and Rana Ayyub in India, both of whom have endured harassment and prosecution for their work as journalists.
The film also reflects the director’s formative influences. Growing up in Hackney, surrounded by politically engaged sisters and exposed to global issues through community and literature, Kapadia internalized a sense of urgency and justice. His choice to focus on female characters resisting oppression is a conscious extension of that environment. Ghost is not just a character in a film; she is a symbol of marginalized voices attempting to preserve memory in a world committed to erasure.
Kapadia’s artistic approach in 2073 merges the intimate and the systemic. The film’s emotional resonance stems not only from its stark visuals and sparse dialogue but from its capacity to mirror viewers’ fears. Whether it’s a scene drawn from real protest footage or a monologue about lost family history, each moment in 2073 builds toward a narrative that suggests a closing window for meaningful resistance. The future is not only coming—it has, in many respects, already arrived.
By confronting the tools of repression and the figures who wield them, Kapadia delivers a cinematic warning. His fusion of fact and fiction elevates 2073 into a powerful intervention, pushing audiences to question the structures around them. For Asif Kapadia, the film is more than a work of art—it is an archive of danger, a call for awareness, and a plea not to ignore the signs already visible.
