In The Mist (★★★) is an X-rated trip into the underworld of Taiwanese gay saunas. “Nature porn” paves the way for literal gay porn. It’s an inviting and informative introduction to Tao culture that flaunts the panoramic majesty of the island’s steep and verdant hills, its underwater reefs and forbidding blue-black sea, stunningly rendered through the enveloping sensory immediacy of VR. Thrust into the maritime rhythms of indigenous life, you’ll find yourself in backyards, among chickens and dogs, as the community prepares salted fish snacks for the annual flying fish festival. The short documentary Offing (★★★½) submerges us in the natural beauty of remote Orchid Island, where the Tao people struggle to preserve their distinctive culture as islanders leave for the big smoke. The showcase of Taiwanese digital artists includes an exotic flight for virtual tourists keen to take off before the pandemic-induced logjam clears on international travel. That prospect may send a dystopian chill down your spine, but Fringe Focus Taiwan provides an intriguing glimpse into VR’s aesthetic possibilities.
