Martyr Loser King

Incisive questions about capitalism, colonialism, and the future of technology abound in this cyberpunk fable from visionary poet, performer, and director Saul Williams.

In Martyr Loser King, the East Africa country of Burundi is a source of the precious mineral coltan, a component of every technology on earth. The people who mine coltan are exploited, and the land around the mines is used by the rest of the world as a dumping ground for defunct machines. But from the rubble, creativity and rebellion rise in the form of a hacker who calls himself Martyr_Loser_King and an otherworldly stranger named Neptune Frost. Together, they launch a cyberattack that reverberates throughout the world. But the world is too focused on old enemies to recognize a new transformative force that seeks not destruction, but rebirth and understanding.

Steeped in mythology and history but inspired by present-day events, Martyr Loser King offers a glimpse of a future that feels far from impossible.

Saul Williams is a poet, musician, and actor. He is the co-director, screenwriter, and composer of the science-fiction musical Neptune Frost. Saul made his acting and screenwriting debut in the 1998 feature Slam, which won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize and the Cannes Film Festival’s Caméra d'Or. Saul has released six albums and has published five books of poetry.