before everything has a name
an-li dīng
United States
2026
17 min
Color
Video Art Programme #1
Synopsis
The film is made from photographs on 35mm film, hand-processed over several years among the water, rocks and vegetation of the Pacific coast. Chemical alterations to the film erase specific places, turning different landscapes into a single movement of textures, forms and scales.
About the Director
an-li dīng (b. 1998, China) is a multi-media artist working across film, sound, and installation. She holds an MFA in Film and Video with a minor in Integrated Media from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). In her work, images emerge as organic materials encounter photosensitive media, unfolding into multi-sensory atmospheric fields. Her work has been recognized at institutions including the Hammer Museum and REDCAT.
Festivals & Awards
- Screening — Prismatic Ground | 2026
- Screening — O-FEST | 2026
- Screening — Weekend Domain


