MAKING OFF

by Edson BARRUS
2006 / Mini DV / color / sound / 1S / 18' 00

«On the Rua Lavradio, in Rio de Janeiro, the activity never stops, day and night, people work there unceasingly. In this film, Edson Barrus records the feverish signs of activities. Each one involved in his task shows that it is not so much the result which matters but to do it and undo it. You activate yourself: a wall rises up, beer barrels are lined up in front of a bar, men carry their burdens back and forth, others remake a roof while, others are busy around the opening of sewer, and still others unroll and roll back up the tarps on a building undergoing renovation, or on a roof. Another tries to pile up the rebus of scrap on a wheel barrow. His activity is not really successful, but he is steady and seems to mock the efficiency of other duties.The walls are finished before having to start to rise thus reversing temporality and thus abusing this displayed productivity. In this way, an old man piling up pieces of metal incarnates without knowing it the myth of Sisyphus. Some seem to demolish during the day, what Pénélope had made the night before.» yb.

1 PRINT IN DISTRIBUTION


distribution format Mini DV
screen 4/3 (single screen)
speed 25 fps
sound sound
rental fee 54,00 €