Life Extended (2008, 58 min.)
is Bigert & Bergström’s exploration of the human endeavor to
control life and death. In this film, we meet the gerontologist who
believes we will be immortal within a near future, the architects who
construct spaces to slow down the ageing process, the monk who runs for
1000 days in order to strengthen his spirit for its immortal journey,
the street kids who lives in the moment, and many more. “Today
ageing is subject to control” as one biochemist puts it. And the speed
with which this biotechnological development is moving indicates that
coming generations will live very long lives. Opposíng the static
image of the stairway of life, the film is constructed as a relay race
where people move towards the viewer. Initiated as a work of art, the
film envisions a contemporary memento mori for death itself, when death
has become nothing but a memory. Showing Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 2:30 pm in Miller 14. |
Last Supper (2005, 58 min.)
The last supper has been given to prisoners facing the death penalty as
long as the punishment has existed. The tradition stems from funeral
rites where the deceased person was given food on his deathbed to
protect him on his journey to the afterlife. Today, the ritual of
giving the last supper to the condemned person has been detached from
its origin, and can be perceived to be as absurd as the punishment it
accompanies. Last Supper focuses on this discrepancy between
historical "meaning" and contemporary use of a tradition that has lost
its connection with the past. The film mixes documentary material
with sculptural installations and animated graphics. The main
character is the former death row chef Brian Price, who reconstructs
one of the 200 final meals that he prepared during his time as inmate
in Huntsville State Prison, Texas, US. Showing Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 pm in Lovejoy 208. http://www.bigertbergstrom.com/last_supper.html http://www.artesmundi.org/ebulletin/bulletin2007-02.htm |