Douglas Gordon’s short film, Play Dead; Real Time, elicits feelings of vulnerability, seclusion, entrapment and tragic destiny. Each movement the elephant takes expresses signs of frailty, caution and fear of the unknown that awaits the creature on its journey through life. Lack of sound strengthens the idea of remoteness from the world and others. Seemingly the elephant’s world is reduced to an inescapable white room; effectively arguing that wherever the animal actually is in the end irrelevant. Gordon’s choice of smooth circular low angel camera recording gives the film consistency in the form that time keeps moving, around and around; unstoppable. Contrasting this the elephant and title symbolize the knowledge that time for the creature, nay all things, is definite. Death will come and time shall continue on its course. Personally I feel the vision of the piece is to show our own tragic future and how incredibly alone we are.
Omer Fast’s piece, 5,000 Feet is the Best, plays off the idea that the United States falls victim to occupation. Fast films the daily life of a U.S. family in occupation; passing through checkpoints and following foreign rule. In contrast an audio clip of real present day U.S. occupation is used to show the same situation and how our government imposes rule over others. Fast’s intention is to show the possibility that occupation could happen to our country. Ultimately his vision is to inform others about how others live, and die, in areas of occupation and to spread the word about it.