Meshes of the After
On The Level (Experimental Visions) • Short Films, 15-Jun-2022
A woman returns home to a constantly shifting domestic and mental landscape in this retelling of “Meshes of the Afternoon,” Maya Deren’s landmark avant-garde film. Meg Case and Brad Porter direct “Meshes of the After,” swapping 1940’s Hollywood for Brooklyn current day, and grainy black and white for sharp color. Largely the adaptation remains faithful to the original (while experimenting with pacing and sequencing) within its visual mutations, its merging of reality and imagination, and its recursive action designed with repeating motifs and labyrinthine logic. As well, both films allow plenty of room for interpretation and formal experimentation — extreme close-ups, use of shadow, camera (dis)orientation — as they depict a woman arriving into a state of upheaval. We featured Case and Porter previously with their 2020 quarantine opus, “Wrath,” which also involved elaborate, inventive uses of an ordinary home space transported through surreal visions. -KA. Directors, editors, DP’s, Producers, cast: Meg Case and Brad Porter.
Up Next in On The Level (Experimental Visions)
-
Eyeballs
A young man with vision problems deals with his caustic friends and a bizarrely ominous influence. “Eyeballs,” directed by Cooper Herzog Olson, is an experimental oddity, a stream-of-consciousness DIY tone poem about learning to see, but not too much. Wandering around a small beach town, Dennis e...
-
TriKE
A stylish exploration of movement and attitude that reflects a spirited response to a chaotic world. “TriKE,” directed by Giselle Bonilla and performed by Brianna Mims, is an experimental portrait, wonderfully expressive and attuned to texture, color, and mood. A woman dances on a roof; she poses...
-
Cold Bull
A group of Alaskan fishermen do everything it takes to stay awake and not crash their boat. “Cold Bull,” directed by Ben Gordon, is a deranged commercial for Red Bull (not really), or a loopy experimental documentary about “living the sweet life” (also not really). It’s the summer and the fishing...
