In Dreams-A Review of “All Things Must Pass” a film by Alina Gavrielatos
“In dreams, unhappy, I behold you stand” from Songs of Travel: V ‘In Dreams by Ralph Vaughan Williams’.
*Alina Gavrielatos has once again proved herself to be a craftswoman of digital artistry, an alchemist hunched over the dark materials of the visual. Her latest film “All Things Must Pass” is a testament to that.
The title of the film is “All Things Must Pass”, and is a mixture of surrealism, allegory and metaphor. Iit was first shown from Feb 23rd-May 20th 2019 at the Museo Maco Oaxaca “After Extinction”, exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. It also featured at the Void Group Show, 58th Venice Biennale (Venice) Italy, 2019
“As heretofore: The unremembered tokens in your hand”
The opening shot of the film is that of an eye, (reminiscent of Un Chien Andalou a 1929 French silent surrealist short film by Spanish director Luis Buñuel) blinking, the face covered by a mask. The centre of the eye is like a mirror with a dark reflection.
This is not an easy film to watch, as from the start the perceptive viewer is introduced to a sense of fear, of claustrophobia, akin to like one of those disturbing dreams. I put this down to the tight camera work of Melanie LeBlonde, the camerawoman.
“The unremembered tokens in your hand avail no more”
If the imagery of a dream is unconvincing then perhaps that of a drug like stupor works, aided by the atmospheric b&w setting is more appropriate, as the images come in and out of focus. Even when awakened, as the character in the bed is, the dream like/stupor seems to continue.
The use of masks for different characters shows different manifestations of the psyche. Then there is also, the fact that the film is completely silent, which adds to the feeling of both enclosed play and eroticised violence.
For example, a ninja waves a saw that drips moisture. In another film segment a pig-masked member of the sex police, grinning maniacally, approaches with an active drill and there seems no escape for the now awake sleeper.
“No more the morning glow, no more the grace, enshrines, endears”
There are stories and allegories behind each frame that the viewer will have to discover.
But rest assured that you are going to be taken on a journey of a matter of life and of death, the harsh coldness of metal, symbology and the malleability of the mind.
“To die, to sleep–to sleep, perchance to dream–ay, there’s the rub, for in this sleep of death what dreams may come.” Time to wake up?
*Alina Gavrielatos is a multimedia artist, living and working in London and more of her work can be seen at; www.alinagavrielatos.com
