Spirit of Baraka

Cormac Scanlan’s movie Hylozoism is a ‘Holistic Documentary’ which, whilst offering no answers, uses associational form to encourage its audience to ponder life's big questions. Alluding to topics as varied as psychology, philosophy, anthropology, urbanity and evolutionary biology, the film invites viewers to think about who we are and where we came from. Hylozoism asks questions about how are we connected to each other and our planet, ponders about where are we headed as species and examines our purpose as both an individual and a part in a larger society and history.

Loosely influenced by the artistic ideas of Guy Ernest Debord and the Situationist International movement, much of the film was made using the psychogeographical practice of dérive. Cormac Scanlan's form of psychogeography focuses on exploring urban and rural environments and using video and stills photography to reflect the emotions experienced at a location in the way it is artistically portrayed, as well as capturing the physical presence of the location itself.

Hylozoism was made over a period of 7 months between 2005 and 2006. All photography is original footage of a documentative nature (ie there was no setting up of scenarios, interfering with the subject, or altering the mise en scène) and all photography and video editing was done by Cormac Scanlan himself. The film features an original soundtrack, recorded specifically for the film, this was composed, performed and produced by Cormac Scanlan and Curtis Redden.

Cormac Scanlan's Photography: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ichor/

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Fly is a non-verbal film with scenes of Singapore and Nepal. It was screened in various film festivals around the world and won 3rd Best Amateur Documentary in the Canadian Film Festival in 1999. Fly is shot on Super 8.

Credits

• Director & Producer: Alexis Lefort
• Editor: Lars Woodruffe
• Graphic Designer: Damien Yang
• Music composers: Dinesh Rai & Nigel Woodford
• Sound Mixer: Nigel Woodford

Links

• Listen to the full length tracks at myspace.com/foreignechoes

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Laya Project is a non-verbal film dedicated to the survivors of the 26th December 2004 Asian tsunami.  Laya Project is a musical and visual journey through coastal and surrounding villages in the path of the December 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Myanmar and Maldives. 

The film uses music and singing as the common language of all of the people and communities featured.  There are some spoken words in the film, translated with subtitles.Read more >>>

Sky Train is a 6 minute non-narrative film about Thailand, by Ryan Moser.

Sky Train beautifully uses panning, time-lapse and dreamy cloud sequences that fans of the films in the genre will be familiar with.  But, Ryan has captured the essence of each of his locations in Thailand.  From Bangkok's blurring night lights, scorching midday sunshine, and non-stop traffic, the film progresses nicely to the blue waters  and palm trees of the south.

There are great timelapse, Ron Fricke esque moments when the camera is racing around in a shopping trolley.

Sky Train is a great mixture of the gritty and glitzy side of Thailand.  With the fast paced streets, and claustrophobic soi, whilst avoiding the bland, dreamy tourist-board style panning shots.

The timelapse sequences recorded on foot are a little shaky, but considering the budget, it's still great work.

Well done Ryan.

From Ryan:Read more >>>

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