Shorts 11: The High Priestess

All Tru-ish Mina Mir 3 min., Video, 2015, USA “A One-sided relationship is depicted through a series of vibrant, absurdist vignettes.” MM Dear Lorde Duke & Battersby 27 Min., Video, 2015, USA “Bone collector Maxine Rose, a 14 year old teenage girl, is looking for validation from her heroes, amongst them the primatologist Jane Goodall, bishop Desmond Tutu and the New Zealand teen pop Star Lorde. Offering them a gift of language, Maxine Rose stands for the desire to be visible and understood, not unlike the desire of an artist. We are particularly impressed by the multilayered story telling structure, the freshness of the characterization, and the honest exploration of an artists` vulnerability." –Excerpt from the jury’s comment on awarding Dear Lorde the EMAF award. Pattern For Survival Kelly Sears 7 Min., Video, 2015, USA “Pattern for Survival channels the frenetic energy and aggression of security and preparedness. As you read the rest of this manual, keep in mind the need for a survival strategy.” KS Crystal Lake Jennifer Reeder 20 Min., Video, 2016, USA “A group of young girls take over a skate park, forming an all-female force field on the half pipe. There on the reclaimed ramp, with no boys around, they are thriving and visible. This is an anthem for young feminists, which presents female friendship as a means to survive adolescence. EVERY GRRRL-SHAPED BREATH IS A BATTLE CRY.” JR Baghdad, Iowa Usama Alshaibi 34 Min., Video, 2015, USA “This liminal landscape, artificial yet grounded in a personal cultural mash-up of memory and pain, is seen through the camera, or the windshield as screen, as an attempt to reach a border between the seen and unseen. The town Baghdad, Iowa, is an imagined place that is transitional and conceptual. It is a place that connects my personal memories and trauma to an artistic space, which in turn allows both fears and desires to be expressed. Baghdad, Iowa is the mask, the shadow and the night stars that sing the sorrow song of death. The traveler is you and the voice you hear is your own. You might be dreaming, so don’t wake up until you arrive in Baghdad, Iowa.” UA