I'm making a film about the end of life. This is an attempt to engender a space where the phenomenon of dying and death can be given images. What I'm planning is complex for a number of reasons: ethically, logistically, aesthetically.
Why? Because filming
death and dying is still taboo in terms of what western society can and cannot sanction. As a
consequence there are very few moving images of what dying actually is. The
default response to making a film artwork involving terminal illness is perhaps concerned with appropriateness, sensitivity,
respectful distance. With this response a
possibility is denied, and the experiences and subjectivities of those nearing death are occluded. I'm interested in the kinds of moving images yet
to be made in the context of death and dying.
The project brings together film practice and palliative
care, working with individuals
experiencing and witnessing death and dying. I'm working closely with two UK
hospices, Earl Mountbatten on the Isle of Wight, and the Martlets in Hove, Sussex. This is a commission by Fabrica, a gallery in Brighton, Arts Council England and Big Lottery, with the support of the University of East London and Queen Mary University London.
I hope to share some thoughts and issues as they arise, over the next couple of months.
No comments:
Post a Comment