The term “reconnaissance” generally means an inspection or exploration—that which in the military field can be categorized as “intelligence.” Such connotations also inevitably arise with Johann Lurf´s RECONNAISSANCE; after all, the film is laid out as an intensely perceptive exploration of an area. In silent shots, Lurf offers a clip-like depiction of the Morris Reservoir near the Californian city of Azusa—a huge reservoir, which long served as a testing site for torpedoes , or rather, underwater warfare. RECONNAISSANCE targets details of the terrain in a seemingly motionless way, to unfold a subtle play with light and movement within this “framing.” First is a stone wall on which the incidence of light begins to oscillate almost imperceptibly. Then come parts of the dam, ramp-like concrete colossi, obstructed sections of road, underground shafts; and also medium shots of the surroundings—all sublimely alienated. One alienating effect is the partially abrupt, and partially barely perceptible change of light. The other, much more ghostly, is the sliding movement of individual areas of the landscape or the building. The background of a building thus begins to “wander,” the stone wall “framed” by the dam facility to escape from its frame. Reconnaissance, that is, shedding light on the obscure-monstrous facility, thus always also attempts to include its opposite—as though the independent existence of this functional military building cannot be simply abandoned or exorcised. Or, simply, it can be photographed only at the price of granting the bizarre building fragments their own dynamics, emanating from themselves: which gives the act of reconnaissance a highly remarkable visual-dialectical twist.
(Christian Höller)
Translation: Lisa Rosenblatt
3 PRINTS IN DISTRIBUTION
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distribution format |
DCP on server (INTEROP 2K) |
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dimensions
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3D |
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screen |
16/9 (single screen) |
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speed |
24 fps |
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sound |
sound |
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rental fee |
36,00 € |
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distribution format |
DCP on server (SMPTE 2K) |
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screen |
16/9 (single screen) |
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speed |
25 fps |
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sound |
silent |
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rental fee |
36,00 € |
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distribution format |
Digital file on server (FHD) |
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screen |
16/9 (single screen) |
|
speed |
25 fps |
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sound |
silent |
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rental fee |
36,00 € |
