These Are The Things I Don't Remember
35mm film, 2 minutes, 1995 (IMAGES)
Serendipity may have been a better title for this film. I'd never worked with 35mm film before I came to York University graduate program. I was suddenly offered some 35mm raw stock, a huge roll of 35mm clear leader, and a large light table. Then I discovered that the flatbed I had access to was convertible to 35mm and even an idle 35mm splicer. Inspired by Man Ray and Norman McLaren, I created this short cameraless film. The images are mainly made up of beads (including numerous specially crafted glass beads), objects, and other pieces of film laid on top of raw film in the dark and flashed with light (ala Man Ray's "Ray-o-grams"). I sat at great length with the film in front of me on top of the light table, basking in its glow, and drawing and scratching over the film. I drew a soundtrack for it which sounded a lot like insects, so I began to draw insects on the film. I had not felt attracted to insects since I was a kid, collecting them or playing with them or whatever. That is where the title comes from. I have not yet afforded a proper transfer and have only a rough, silent version available on video. Screenings include the Fabulous Festival of Fringe Film curated by Phil Hoffman in Durham, Ontario in 2003.