The Machinist's Lament
2014
Synopsis
"In factories, everyone has their place. Western industrial production is a site of magical thinking: an old history that will never return, an idealized construction that never really was. It's impossible to know what the true costs would be if it were to return - societal, environmental, and psychological – and yet, entire political campaigns are built around this. This piece speculates on re-industrialization, and is a sequel to my 2013 video, Safety First (Bad, Don’t Touch, Mercy!). Like its prequel, it posits a non-specific future populated by female factory workers. The geometric aesthetics of power and the romance of industrial-era alienation, are paired with theoretical and fictional texts about alternate social economies. Video footage was shot in Ohio, animation and soundtrack by the artist. Voiceover text sources include Industrial supply catalogs, OSHA safety manuals, Monique Wittig’s Les Guerilleres, and Adorno’s Minima Moralia." -Taken from Jen Liu's Vimeo page.
Credits
Director
Cast
Joelle Lingat as Test Chorus
Katherine Hamilton as Test Chorus
Wang Si as CHOREOGRAPHER / MASK DANCER / TEST SUBJECT
Xu Mengchen as Test Scientist
Crew
Ali Post (Animation)
Nadia Stevens (Animation)
Jake Hochendoner (Director of Photography)
Original Poster
The Machinist's Lament - Original Poster
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