Inspired by Lewis Hyde's classic The Gift: How the Creative Spirit Transforms the World, GIFT is a richly cinematic film, interweaving character-driven stories. On North America's Pacific Northwest Coast, a young Indigenous artist and carver undertakes the elaborate preparations for a potlatch: to make a name for himself by giving everything away. In Rome, Italy, a factory occupied by migrant families is transformed into a living museum, protected by a barricade of art : a model of resistance, and an invaluable gift. In the pirate utopia of Burning Man, a mutant bumblebee art car distributes honey in a post-apocalyptic desert landscape. Meanwhile, in Auckland, New Zealand, artist Lee Mingwei prepares to launch Sonic Blossom, a transformative gift of song. GIFT is a tribute to something that can't be measured or counted, bought or sold. Exploring the parallels between artists' work and a gift economy, it's a reflection on the creative process, the reasons we labour in service of our gifts, and the beauty and challenges of fearlessly giving and receiving.
—Robin McKenna