Miss Communication and Mr:Re

This two-channel film, initiated as a long-distance communication experiment, was the result of an exchange with Fred Moten, the poet and theorist whose work explores representation and identity in black avant-garde culture. Moten and Tsang left each other voicemail messages every day over a two-week period, never actually making contact, but often riffing off of the other’s previous message. The recordings of these messages serve as voiceover for footage of the faces of Moten and Tsang looking directly at the camera with deadpan expressions.

Directed by Wu Tsang, Miss Communication and Mr:Re leans on a strong ensemble — Fred Moten, Wu Tsang — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2014.