Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera (2013)

Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera (2013) poster

This ancient Chinese game is played between two people, who in unison say ‘rock, paper, scissors’ before ‘throwing’ one of the three figures at each other: closed fist or flat hand or two fingers in a V shape. Rock blunts scissors, scissors cut paper, paper enfolds rock. Each round is win, lose or –if both players choose the same ‘tool’– draw. We see not hands but a shadow-play of hands against a pale background, as the two antagonists display the tremendous skill that kids alone can muster in what seems impossibly fast motion. ‘Conceptual art,’ you say, the kind you could watch for hours, the hands as synecdoche not of the body but of two bodies in a rhythmic frenzy of elegant interaction and dissolution.

Director: Francis Alÿs
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 3 min
Release Date:
Editing: Julien Devaux
Country: Mexico
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Francis Alÿs
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera about?
This ancient Chinese game is played between two people, who in unison say ‘rock, paper, scissors’ before ‘throwing’ one of the three figures at each other: closed fist or flat hand or two fingers in a V shape. Rock blunts scissors, scissors cut paper, paper enfolds rock. Each round is win, lose or –if both players choose the same ‘tool’– draw. We see not hands but a shadow-play of hands against a pale background, as the two antagonists display the tremendous skill that kids alone can muster in what seems impossibly fast motion. ‘Conceptual art,’ you say, the kind you could watch for hours, the hands as synecdoche not of the body but of two bodies in a rhythmic frenzy of elegant interaction and dissolution.
Who directed Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera?
Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera was directed by Francis Alÿs.
How long is Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera?
Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera has a runtime of 3m (3 minutes).
What genre is Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera?
Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera is a Documentary film.
Where was Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera produced?
Children’s Game #14: Piedra, papel o tijera was produced in Mexico.