participation
In June 2009 I sent a 6 minute trailer of TIMELESS LAND to about 50 friends around the world asking for feedback. By then it was a work in progress and so I did it secretely. I uploaded the flm into Vimeo but I have sent a password protected file through email. I received many comments and questions which resulted in very interesting dialogues. I want to thank to all who participated in this project with feedback, support and friendship!
here are a selection of the comments I received and a few dialogues that resulted from it as they may inform the film and its process.
ed lachman wrote:
I'm sorry for the loss of Kevin. I know his spirit will live through you in your work, as we all become a collective experience of images shared.
John wrote:
hey claudia, I watched your trailer and it does make me want to watch more definitely. as a whole I think you have a great handle on very direct and boundary-less filmmaking (I would say "experimental" but I never liked that term so much). the use of sound and image is top-notch and it seems like there is a lot of great content to work with. i really want to know more about what is meant specifically by the term "time travelers" and am interested in what it is all about. in the trailer it gave an introduction to it and you got a visual and emotional feel for it, but I'm interested to get a little more info about it, examples etc and how it is an alternative way of thinking and living. It’s an interesting idea and an interesting choice of words. and its nice to see you in the movie b/c i haven't seen you in a long time.
Claudia wrote:
'time travellers' was the name we used to sign our projects together and yes it reflects our way of living, working and loving -- basically we wouldn't make a distinction between those things. as I say ' no boundaries, no ownership, things just flow'… All that is on the projects we were doing as well, they were quite a few (…)
This film is really 'micro' in the way I'm doing it. It's a craft work. I didn't have much footage of kevin so I am using all kinds of other thing as well: his music, letters, photos, short conversations with other people (only have 3 so far, planning a few more), my own voice, myself, places, somehow the projects we were doing... the film goes back and forward, past, future, present, there's not a linear cronology... like time traveling which we do anyway in our minds, so again the films reflects that in the way it is made, it's its basic concept.
but as you say the content is there and I'm not trying to do any clever filmmaking. I am quite happy with the simplicity of it, it's just me with my little old camera, my laptop, sort of in my living room, around london, and then jamaica. I guess it's also how I feel, bared bone.. somedays it is difficult to watch and to see kevin because I miss him... Anyway i think it's a very basic human instinct - storytelling - it's like when you travel, then you come back and tell the story, and those stories give confort to the ones who stay, but they want to know and learn from the ones who go far away. For me to film and take pictures was the only natural thing to do -- still difficult sometimes to talk about it, but really felt my images were expressing my feelings in a much deeper way than words could do.
marie wrote:
My first reaction is to think about your grief, but as I start to write, I know that the grief it’s not only pain, the proof are these images. I saw in your film an introduction, you are taking us in a flight, floating in this time travel, I see it as the beginning, the source… kevin really takes us, to the moon, or some other place, I don’t know… Or, as the rastaman who talks about the 9 days dance, and the girl who talks about Kevin’s smile after death, the film could even take us to that theme with human testimonials, scientific, tribal, why not… which tells us about a departure, a journey… even the title ‘time travellers’ creates great expectations.
Yes Claudia, I saw the beginning of a journey, I would say your reflection, your sensations which translate into images and sounds and that can take us, the humanity in the other side of your personal story, take us to get to ourselves… don’t know if I explain it right… I mean, that you and Kevin would be members of a tripulation to take us somewhere… those are my first impressions… The journey through space could also be a journey through live cells, like an open question about our destiny, like Kevin felt. It’s very poetic and very material this film, in the sense that Life is matter… thank you for sharing it.
cláudia wrote:
As you put it very nicely, there is that idea of a journey of humanity, it’s not only my journey or Kevin’s, in the end it’s quite a philosophical film and made me think also about what Art is and how important it is to start from strong and truthful feelings to create. How it is important to touch, move, inspire others, that is the power of art, to communicate deeply, in subtle ways.
margarida wrote:
Timeless land is very beautiful, very poetic and based on truthful feelings. I liked very much to ‘meet’ kevin, the scientist and the moon traveller. Your story together it’s as beautiful as sad… That rastafari man it’s great, very good indeed :D I also liked very much the director’s notes you wrote on your site. The concept of micro-cinema is good and I feel you are now using an hybrid way of filming, very sensitive, living life and feeling cinema all at once. About the idea of DIWO, it’s a powerful concept and it seems an excelent alternative to normal film production model. I will keep following the Timeless Land on your site
cláudia wrote:
I’m happy that the film allows you to meet kevin and hear the messages of the time travellers!
celine wrote:
I think your film is very physical. It is strange, I started looking at it thinking it was maybe a little of a ‘too personal’ matter - don't take it the wrong way.... But by the end of it (and for the rest of the day) it completely ‘lived’ with me!.. I was caught into it and wanted to see more! So, see, this is the power of what you can do, so, do it!
claudia tomaz wrote:
I'm happy that the film 'lived' with you... thanks. my aim is to make it personal (it can't be otherwise) but also universal, so people can relate with it but in a quite deep level, the film is soft in a way, like a trip around the moon, sometimes hypnotic, but also strong, with strong ideas (and ideals)
celine wrote:
Yes, that is what I thought!... the ‘personal and definitely universal!’ and the hypnotic feeling is there. Once you let yourself ‘slip in’ you get immersed!
Gabriela wrote:
I very much liked the trailer, I couldn’t even talk afterwards, it’s very strong, very intense, elegant and delicate, keep on that spirit. It really affected me, want to see it again and again, and I’ll get back to you, I can’t do it now. I know it’s a great homage to Kevin, his music, your love.
joao carlos wrote:
It seems this is a very emotional film, very personal and original. So it doesn’t make sense to comment the technical or formal structure of the film, which anyways seems to me to go in a very good direction. What I want to say is that I liked it very very much, as I liked as well the text you published on your site. The richness of this work in progress short version, can only make me believe in a very strong emotional conection to the all film. Well done! Oh and forgot to mention that I really liked your voice and accent, it gives the film a very delicate tone, very melodic with a beautiful texture.
joao canijo wrote:
I liked it very much. And expectant to see the rest.
sofia wrote:
Just finished to watch your 6 minutes trailer and I want to see more… super beautiful, poetic and very personal. Go on with it!
ana wrote:
I think you are constructing a very personal piece that reflects your (both you and Kevin) way of living and your relationship. Although you depict a sad passage in your life, I think the film is intended to be a celebration of life.
you are always an inspiration and a constant flow of creativity.