There is very little seismic activity in the greater part of southeastern Europe, but in references to the Balkans, geological-seismological terms have taken on their own, metaphorical meanings and use in political jargon – thus fracture zone, fault line, epicentre of major tremors, magnetic poles of attraction and repulsion. Such are applied to the people who inhabit the region as if it were part of their nature. So, too, conflicts are depicted as if they had always been there, a geological feature, as it were. For the essay film “Days In Between” Marianna Christofides has been recursively visiting the Balkans for the past four years, at first seeking out sites along borders lying by rivers and lakes, where the course of the boundary remains indefinite. After having lost the entire first block of footage, the data on the hard drive not being retrievable, she sets out anew, only to witness that the places do not exist anymore in the same way. Topography changes insomuch that landscapes seem to vanish and observations “antiquate”. The approach of the film extends accordingly, now focusing on loss, omissions, disappearances without trace. The spiralling vacuum of stereotypes and metaphors, the appropriation of geological terms in political parlance that characterize the gaze of the West onto the region comes to the fore. Rivers become amphibious, both solid and liquid, as they separate bank from bank whilst connecting along their course. The film itself gets into flow: As a recurring attempt of approaching – the very constant failure and beginning anew within this process becomes part of a poetic narrative.
post production:
ATELIER 105
2 PRINTS IN DISTRIBUTION
|
distribution format |
Digital file on USB stick (FHD) |
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screen |
1,37 - Standard (single screen) |
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speed |
25 fps |
|
sound |
sound |
|
original language |
English |
|
rental fee |
93,00 € |
|
distribution format |
DCP on USB stick (SMPTE 2K) |
|
screen |
1,37 - Standard (single screen) |
|
speed |
25 fps |
|
sound |
sound |
|
original language |
English |
|
rental fee |
93,00 € |
