a film by Julio Medem
The story of Ana during four years of her life, from age 18 to 22. A countdown, ten, nine, eight, seven... until zero, like in hypnosis, through which Ana discovers that she does not live alone, that her existence seems like a continuation of other lives of young women who died in a tragic way, all at the age of 22, and who live in the abyss of her unconscious memory. This is her chaos. In this feminist fable, Ana is the princess and the monster of the story against the tyranny of the white man; a tyranny of gender, male against female, the first cause of the misfortunes of mankind. On her journey Ana will attempt to break this chain of violence.
Ana is a naive young artist who has known only the natural world, living a secluded bohemian existence with her German father, Klaus, in a cave high above the sea on Ibiza. Ethereal and free-spirited, she supports herself and her father by selling her colourful paintings at various arts and craft fairs across the island. Ana is then discovered by a French woman, Justine, and lured away to her workshop in Madrid, to live and work with other young artists in complete creative freedom, the only commitment being to study.
Once there, Ana is confronted with a life she has never even imagined – a life that reveals both profound love and near-unbearable pain. As she takes her first step towards womanhood, Ana gradually discovers that life is more than a geographical and linear journey; it is also temporal and cyclical as evidenced by the many lifetimes she has lived before her current existence. Justine recognises Ana's chaos, a chaos which can also inspire the imagination – creativity through disorder – and she becomes her guide on the journey into the abyss.
Eventually, in a transcendental bid to explore her many past lives and deaths, Ana turns to regressive hypnosis to open the doors. It is this journey that reveals to Ana the source of her chaos – the hideous commonality that has followed her from her very first journey. Instilled with the wisdom of her many past experiences, Ana is propelled ever further back in time and across the continents, knowing that one day the time will come for her to use this power to create life.
An intimate and sensual tale of personal transformation. The film is visually stunning, with dynamic cinematography and editing, and a magnificent score by Jocelyn Pook. It is also a searing indictment of masculine aggression that has led to a legacy of warfare, occupation, terrorism, and subjugation. Writer/director Julio Medem dedicates this work to his younger sister Ana, who died tragically at the age of 22 – the striking and vibrant artworks that appear throughout the film are hers. It is jointly dedicated to his daughter, also named Ana.
No comments:
Post a Comment