Jonas Rasmussen’s short experimental film ‘Scars‘ magnetises the viewer with its cinematography. The film in itself is a documentary about sci-fi artist Lars Mikkes, but the director structures it in 5 mini-acts conceptualising it into a poetic short experimental about the neurotic emotions and experiences of Lars as a creator, while he receives an order. Jonas Rasmussen gives hints to help the viewer decode the symbols and meanings behind the picture by giving a title to each act: 1. Creation and Longing; 2. Pressure (Intruder); 3. Lost; 4. Metamorphosis and 5. Sacrifice & La Duree.
As any experimental, the film will suffer an infinite of interpretations in the absence of the director’s confession about the synthesis of his work, but guiding ourselves by the hints he gives us we’d very much be entitled to read a philosophy about the emotional transmutation of the artist, galvanised by the act of creation. Thus, the potential stages confronted by the creator start with the longing for tangibility of the imagined opus. The creator’s mind and will stretch out towards the possibilities and available tools and means to materialise the inception. A new idea is getting born. But there is no time… as the phone starts ringing the pressure settles in, this intruder that disturbs the patient process of bringing the idea to light and calls for accelerating the rhythm to achieve the result.
In the act of creation and hastening, there is a risk to bring confusion to the artist making him emotionally distracted from his work. Inspiration comes to a halt and the creator feels lost as he has to confront in its entirety the idea he was previously bringing to life bit by bit. What was once coming to life in small steps being shaped and gaining its final form gradually must now demandingly be visualised altogether as a whole, drawn out from the artist’s mind and implemented palpably.
However, the creator’s mind doesn’t break down as being a creator is a condition in itself and eventually to be able to achieve his task the creator suffers a metamorphosis by coalescing with his work. It is the only way he can meet the expectations: transcend and become one with his work by dedicating it his full time, interest and eventually his life. This comes with great sacrifice on all other plans as love, family and even the artist’s individuality become expendable.
Are the scars those left by the bits of identity that the artist gives away with each of his new work? Are love, time (as a personal experience) and family parts of those bits? Are the scars the same with the memories? Jonas Rasmussen’s film is definitely an enigma worth examining.
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