Through an interplay of original footage and sourced imagery, Haunted by Kings & Kovboys gives voice to the unspoken aspects of a system where conditions and social roles are pre-determined and the subsequent struggle that besets those who try and escape its confines.
Istifan spotlights the free association of posting patterns online through a fluid trickle of profound ruminations on space and theology, punctuated with altered verses from German rap culture. She blurs the lines between comedy and tragedy, highlighting spheres where influence shapes social interaction. The soundtrack Felicità by Al Bano & Romina Power is a famous Italian pop track from the early ’80s, performed by a couple who sings about joy in all aspects of life. While initially positive, the background story of the couple’s vanishing daughter adds another layer that blankets a charged subtext. A woman, visibly distressed, searches frantically for freedom from her predetermined reality but settles for the short intervals of fresh air rushing in from the window, which here represents the pressure valve of digital portals.