On the dialogue programme by Newwave between Pathompon Mont Tesprateep with Silke Schmickl, the talk went tad bit personal to get a better sense of the film, which can be foreign for narrative filmgoers. His interdisciplinary practice of art and film, in this case, is relevant on the attempt to push the fine line as a basis to their norms as story and medium. A short summary is included to slightly give a picture to the dialogue discussed.
The format started with 13 minutes screening of his two trimmed short film due to the time limit, continued with a discussion.
Titled Endless Nameless and Song X respectively, both are black and white film recorded using celluloid film which intervenes its aesthetic with apparent texture. No dialogue was involved throughout as it primarily relies on gestural action. The tension is hinted by the sense of danger amplified through natural acting as if shown on hidden record documentary. Emphasis on the sound also played a part.
In summary, to make sense of it would be in itself an interpretational attempt due to its surreal narrative. Gesturical wise, it consisted scenes where soldiers did common activities that went gradually strange, which turned out to be based on artist’s memory on an actual private soldier's garden run by his family. One of the scene includes a snake purposely unleashed by two soldiers to attack another soldier.
I did not notice intermission. Supposedly it started with a man discovered a corpse on the bushes and dragged him over the river for cleansing. Most of the scenes took place in the river, with various activities of climbing down the tree, a group of people bathing in the river festively, rowing a bamboo raft, pedaled them with a contented face (sorry if it is really vague). The men being topless aside from taking place on river had to do with artist's fascination with the way skin looks on the screen.
Presumably hinted political implied narrative, the follow-up discussion clarified with his personal motive behind the use of soldier. It was meant to be a personal attempt to reconcile with his unease and guilt having witnessed his parents performed authority toward the soldiers. It is manifested from the accumulated observation over years being around. Knowing that I assume the non-linear scene jumbledly comes from what he saw, unintentionally heard, that it forms peculiar subconscious state transmuted into a visual disturbance. As he mentioned it himself, he was also moved by curiosity as to why soldiers do the things they do, to be even drawn into taking the role in the first place.
On the Song X film, he revealed the sentimental loss stage he had, the idea pokes me that his real-life tragedy could’ve suggested the way tragedy is portrayed in the film. Even though we are left clueless as to what extent the significance each gesture portray the actual event, or in what way it is so. But for sure he underlined the word self-hypnosis a couple of time, to sum up what he has achieved throughout the process of the film.
On the Song X film, he revealed the sentimental loss stage he had, the idea pokes me that his real-life tragedy could’ve suggested the way tragedy is portrayed in the film. Even though we are left clueless as to what extent the significance each gesture portray the actual event, or in what way it is so. But for sure he underlined the word self-hypnosis a couple of time, to sum up what he has achieved throughout the process of the film.
The fact that the personal motive disclosed makes a big shift to the way his work's perceived reminds me of how an intrigue toward visual artwork is significantly affected by findings on research. These films are somehow acceptable in both spectrum of contemporary art context as well as the independent film which fine line has increasingly blurred. He himself said that in the midst of both work of visual art and film, he felt like an outsider for both worlds. It is not entirely bad for he doesn't find any necessity to be put into one box.
There's a time when as things sink in you are overwhelmed by how much the speaker just took the word out of your mouth, what has always been wanted but in need of reassurance. He is a master of fine arts graduate and has respect for feature film, both conventional and experimental. When asked about crossing the disciplinary, to him different context and expression requires experiment on various medium and approach to bring it forth better. Knowing his practice is important in this phase where clearer direction is needed. Being in the same space with someone with a longer stretched experience in an unconventional hybrid domain helps to open up the possibility of the long way ahead.
There's a time when as things sink in you are overwhelmed by how much the speaker just took the word out of your mouth, what has always been wanted but in need of reassurance. He is a master of fine arts graduate and has respect for feature film, both conventional and experimental. When asked about crossing the disciplinary, to him different context and expression requires experiment on various medium and approach to bring it forth better. Knowing his practice is important in this phase where clearer direction is needed. Being in the same space with someone with a longer stretched experience in an unconventional hybrid domain helps to open up the possibility of the long way ahead.
He mentioned as though film has always been intriguing, it is intimidating at the same time with the big workloads of team that come with it. Film is a big responsibility, the endless name listed in the credit role for a few minutes short films shrink guts, especially if you have been passive. The discussion land me to the thought that the element of film that makes it approved as one, is as attainable as having one camera as an extended vision of the artist/creator. The rest of technicality and logistic followed up depends on the extent of negotiated output standard with available resources (man and space). It is about making and worrying less as to what level a work is seen valid to be on a particular category it is under.
Shall the works lean toward film context more than art, I have learned to notice that I appreciate how originality and rawness have helped in translating genuine vision of the creator. It can connect audience to different level through its peculiar articulation regardless of the genre. Art, from what I understood favors rawness and authenticity and big part of it is highly attainable with medium of film, and it is up to the artist/maker in deciding how much of certain authentic element of story is implied and the form it should take shape.
The talk went a little slow, but it was still thoughtful. Although articulation and flow of discussion might require the audience to actively gather up the points, as long as it came from a speaker who initially think to bring something forth through the works to begin with, there is important notable points to take home.
Written by Ahdini Izzatika
On Newwave dialogue program.
Picture source :
http://emergeredelpossibile.blogspot.sg/2015/02/endless-nameless.html
http://cargocollective.com/ptesprateep/Song-X
