PANORAMA SCREENING #3: WHAT ARE WORDS WORTH?
“Words of nuance, words of skill, and words of romance are a thrill, words are stupid, words are fun, words can put you on the run.” – Wordy Rappinghood, Tom Tom Club. A tried and tested game by artists, filmmakers and theoreticians sometimes sheds an entirely different light on the line between maker and viewer. The spoken word in this programme could really do with some critical listeners. And don’t forget your other senses.
Ersatz – Elodie Pong (Switzerland 2011, 04:02 min)
The more often you say a word, the less meaning it has: a delicate dialogue about language’s absurd interchangeability.
Speech Act – Herman Asselberghs (Belgium 2011, 29:00 min)
A monologue on Hollywood box office smash Avatar, a production that is not only technologically, film theoretically and commercially iconic for this day and age, but also inspires much more complex themes.
Item Number – Oliver Husain (Canada 2012, 16:00 min)
“Ladies and gentlemen, the performance you are about to witness starts in two minutes’ time and will play out just like the line I am currently walking along – the thin line between success and total disaster.”
It, Heat, It – Laure Prouvost (UK 2010, 06:00 min)
Suggestions of love and the threat of violence develop in an intense, coercing tone against the backdrop of collages, texts and spoken word.
PUNKT.MANNEN – Foad Aram, Lewend Tasin (Sweden 2011, 23:00 min)
Tragicomic situations in a story about young immigrants and the interaction with Sweden where they attempt to create identities for themselves.
Work in Progress – Brent Coughenour (USA 2011, 13:00 min)
A work in progress which wishes not so much to describe what it is about, but primarily what it does.