The film "UBI SUNT", (2024), 7min, Black/White, sound.
UBI SUNT (literally “where are they”) is a rhetorical question taken from the Latin “Ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt?” - "Where are those who were before us?" (Encyclopaedia Britannica/philosophy).The film "UBI SUNT" is a reflection on life and death, present in absence, sense of loss, memories and unconscious processes. It pays homage to my mother, aiming to capture the essence of her remarkable personality.
"UBI SUNT" comprises a single long take – drawing parallel with an individual person’s life. I used a room devoid of people as a character. In the shot the viewer sees only part of the room. The combination and juxtaposition of black-and-white, where we observe only an open window with the transparent curtain, bright rays coming through the dark space of the room, take on a metaphoric meaning. Bright open window like an open portal, that brings us into the world and is then taking us into nothingness. An open window serving as a metaphorical transit from life to death. The light, reflection and wind have a deep symbolic meaning.The long take symbolising the continuity of time and memories. It allowing viewers ample time for visual exploration and emotional immersion. Long take invites viewers to immerse themselves in the scene and project their own feelings and interpretations.The soundtrack of the "UBI SUNT" filled with the presence of people and it is clearly in contradiction to the empty room. Fragmented sounds in the film mirror the fragmented nature of memory processing, serving as an editing framework, which shapes the mental transitions between the sequences of the story. The soundtrack consists of various sounds related to memories of my mother, including snippets of music, radio speeches, ambient noise, and sounds from everyday life, guiding the audience through a sonic journey of remembrance and reflection. By employing associative montage, symbolic meanings and metaphors are created, transcending the film’s context and prompting emotional recognition and intellectual reflection in viewers.
Director, Writer, Producer: Natalia Jezova
Project Type: Short
Runtime: 7 minutes 12 seconds
Completion Date: March 20, 2024
Production Budget: 100 USD
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Country of Filming: Italy
Language: English
Shooting Format: Digital
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Film Color: Black & White
First-time Filmmaker: No
Director Biography - Natalia Jezova
Dr Natalia Jezova is an award wining, multidisciplinary artist. She achieved her Professional Doctorate in Fine Art at the University of East London in 2021.Natalia communicates through a wide variety of media, including photography, film and installation. Her art, which has been exhibited internationally, addresses cultural memory, identity and gender issues.
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