Eija-Liisa Ahtila

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Eija-Liisa Ahtila

Ilppo Pohjola

CrystalEye

 

Studies on the Ecology of Drama

2017 | 26 min 26 sec | HD/DCP | 1:1,85  | Audio 5.1 | Original language Finnish, English subtitles

STUDIES ON THE ECOLOGY OF DRAMA – A path to the company of other living beings.

The film uses the methods of presentation as a path to the company of other living beings. It expands upon the issues of ecological moving image narrative explored in her two previous works – the focus being on presentation, imaging and imagination in the context of the moving image.

Film begins with a human actor walking into a forest park, where she introduces the themes of the work by conducting reduction exercises with the surroundings. Other performers include a bush, a juniper tree, a common swift, a horse, a brimstone butterfly, and a group of human acrobats.

In her performance, the human actor-narrator makes use of the methods of the lecture-performance, thereby making room for other types of presentation.

Making the ecology of drama visible requires the establishment of a reflexive distance and a representational dimension whereby the processes of technological recording and the expressive devices of the moving image can be made perceivable.

The work employs the human body and its mimetic capacity as a tool to present the partial imaging between different creatures. - Becoming-alike, or imitation (mimicry), becomes an instrument for the representation of a living thing.

Full Synopsis

Written & Directed by EIJA-LIISA AHTILA
Actress KATI OUTINEN
Old husky HUGO HUSKY
Plants BUSH, JUNIPER, OAK TREES & ALDER BUCKTHORN
Horse UFRA
Birds COMMON SWIFTS
Dog DSCHOWO’S HARRISON
Butterflies COMMON BRIMSTONE
Acrobats MYRSKY RÖNKÄ, ANNAMARI KUITTINEN,HEDDA LIUKKALA, NORA LUOTO, JILKA REPO
Trampoline acrobat TAPIO LAAKKONEN
Cinematography ARTO KAIVANTO
Editing HEIKKI KOTSALO
Sound Design PETER NORDSTRÖM
Production support AVEK, FINNISH CULTURAL FUND, FINNISH FILM FOUNDATION
Commission SERLACHIUS MUSEUMS, Finland
Production EIJA-LIISA AHTILA and
ILPPO POHJOLA / CRYSTAL EYE