28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
The Sun and the Looking Glass – for one easily forgets but the tree remembers
director: Milena Desse
original title: The Sun and the Looking Glass – for one easily forgets but the tree remembers
year: 2020
running time: 23 min.
synopsis
A visual film essay on the small Palestinian village of Ein Quiniya reconstructs the historical background of the Israeli occupation since 1967. The director puts herself in the position of a detective, who uses a magnifying glass to examine the local stones, sand, and tree bark, which reveal the specific atmosphere of the place and the historical events that have shaped its present appearance. The setting sun not only illuminates the scenery, but also reveals a text that explains how the village, its inhabitants, and everyday life have been transformed by the occupation. The sun and the magnifying glass function both as literal means of creation and as a metaphor for the possibility of seeing hitherto hidden stories.
„I was interested in seeing how these elements—the stones, the trees, the sun—could actually be witnesses and how I could lend them voices in order to reveal the story of the place.” (M. Desse)
biography
Milena Desse (1992) is a French multimedia artist based in Brussels. Her work includes performance art (Souvenir Pattern, 2014), video installations (Boat Leaving, 2015), and experimental films (Dessine-moi un souvenir, 2016) in which she explores the relationship between narrative tradition and cultural memory.more about film
| director: | Milena Desse |
| producer: | Milena Desse |
| photography: | Milena Desse |
| editing: | Milena Desse |
| sound: | Montaser Alul, Chloe Despax |
| co-producer: | Mohanad Yaqubi |
| skladatel: | Sylvie Bouteiller |
