lebensraum/lifespace – spectacle of noise(Istvan Kantor) Rating: NNNN
Rating: NNNN
This is the world premiere of the first feature film by the man who won a Governor General’s Award this year for, among other things, spraying his blood across the walls of the National Gallery in Ottawa. It’s a non-linear meditation on gentrification that immerses you in the frantic, fractured perspective of an alienated cyborg bent on a lonely, futile revolution.
Kantor creates a universe of violent robot sex, paranoia and urban decay that’s both aesthetically coherent and almost impossible to assimilate. It’s not a film you watch, it’s a process you subject yourself to: the rapid-fire editing and relentless clanking soundtrack are so visceral I nearly threw up.
Not for everyone, but highly recommended if you’re curious about what video can do besides tell a simple story. (June 12 at MOCCA)