Lament, 2021
LAMENT IS AN EXPERIMENTAL FILM-ART CREATED in collaboration with TAMARA ALLINA.
SET IN A DARK, EXTENSIVE FILM STUDIO THE SPINNING, ONE-EYED CAMERA OBSERVES BACKSTAGE PREPARATIONS FOR A CHORUS PERFORMANCE. UNDER THE FIRMAMENT OF PALE SPOTLIGHTS, ROAM THE MEMBERS OF THE CREW. ANONYMOUS, WITHOUT QUALITIES – THEY MEANDER BETWEEN THE CAPILLARIES OF CABLES, MERELY SHIMMERING IN THE DARKNESS. IT ISN’T UNTIL THE FINAL SET UP, THAT THE DIRECTORS ABSENCE IS EXPOSED. THE ABANDONED CREW MEMBERS ARE NOW FACED WITH A SOMBER DILEMMA - SHOULD THEY CONTINUE DESPITE THE LACK OF TACIT SUPERVISION?
THE CAMERA REVEALS THE BUSTLING WHEREABOUTS OF THE CREW. TANGLED IN THE CABLES, SCULPTED BY THE ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS, AUDIBLE THROUGH RADIOS – THEY BECOME AN INHERENT PART OF A UNIVERSE, WHICH REVOLVES AROUND THE FOREVER-SPINNING CAMERA. OCCUPYING THE CENTER STAGE IT MOVES IN A SLOW, MONOTONOUS MOTION. THE CREW’S ORBITING ACTIONS ARE DETERMINED BY ITS CONSISTENT, SILENT YET CRUEL ROTATION. ITS CYCLOPEAN EYE, GRADUALLY STRIPS THEM OFF THEIR ANONYMITY AND DENUDES THE HIERARCHY HIDDEN WITHIN. TIME ON THE SET IS CALCULATED BY THE CONSTANTLY PROLONGING DELAY AND SUBSEQUENT TURNS DON’T SEEM TO BE PARALLEL WITH THE TIME PASSING. THE RITE OF PREPARATIONS LASTS UNTIL THE DIRECTOR'S ABSENCE IS DENOUNCED. THE CREW FALLS INTO APATHY OF DESPAIR. IN THE CHAOS OF DRAMA THE CHOIR APPEARS. THEY GRADUALLY FLOOD THE SCENE, SILENTLY PENETRATING DENSE TISSUE OF THE STUDIO. THEY SEEM TO HAVE A SOOTHING EFFECT ON THE PARANOID CREW, WHICH EVENTUALLY DECIDES TO FINALISE THE PERFORMANCE. AS THEY TAKE OVER THE CREATIVE ROLES AND THE PERFORMANCE BEGINS - THE CAMERA CONTINUES TO TURN
