PLASTIC AORTAS is a portrait of the black plastic lining the Fells Reservoir in the unceded land of the Massachusett, Pawtucket, and Naumkeag indigenous peoples. The lining was placed there by conservationists to mitigate the invasive Common Reed, which is killing native plants. However, the lining also interferes with wildlife and contaminates the water.
The title references Roland Barthes' 1957 essay, "Plastic," in which he writes, “The hierarchy of substances is abolished: a single one replaces them all: the whole world can be plasticized, and even life itself since, we are told, they are beginning to make plastic aortas.” 65 years later, in 2022, microplastic pollutants were found in human blood and, in 2023, in human heart tissue.
In this 16mm film, tension rises between the benefits and hazards of plastic or, as Barthes describes, between life and plastic.
post production:
ATELIER 105
2 PRINTS IN DISTRIBUTION
|
distribution format |
Digital file on server (HD) |
|
screen |
1,37 (single screen) |
|
speed |
24 fps |
|
sound |
sound |
|
rental fee |
50,00 € |
|
distribution format |
DCP on server (SMPTE 2K) |
|
screen |
1,37 (single screen) |
|
speed |
24 fps |
|
sound |
sound |
|
rental fee |
50,00 € |
