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IDFA 2012

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Peter Lataster, Petra Lataster-Czisch
Netherlands
2012
60 min
World Premiere
Festival history

Why are we moved by the look in someone's eyes? When does a stare lose its innocence? Can looks kill? These are the questions Peter Lataster and Petra Lataster-Czisch raise with their found-footage film, which was commissioned by the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. Taking "the gaze" as their central theme, the directors searched out a wide range of footage. Some scenes are innocent, such as a father looking at his newborn child, people looking at a solar eclipse, a provocative showgirl, or painter Karel Appel looking at a canvas. But gradually, less innocent images begin to filter through, of white people measuring the noses of African tribesmen, Dutch people doing the Nazi salute, the mortal fear in the eyes of Nicolai and Elena Ceausescu during their trial, and emaciated African children on a mass exodus. Without any preconceived idea, the makers picked material that made them curious and left a big impression. Then they figured out how to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Their modus operandi was inspired by the way dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham used to compose his productions. Much of the editing was left to chance, with the quirks of the original material guiding the direction the film took.

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    Lataster & Films
    Lataster & Films