A modern anthology

Think of the time a few months ago, when you were home alone at night. There was a warm breeze outside. Perhaps from a storm that hadn't yet arrived (perhaps the storm never came at all). But you were alone and there was nothing more to do. You'd already eaten and you weren't ready for bed.

A ringing silence pervaded throughout your house. And upon hearing this silence you realized you had been standing completely still for an indeterminate amount of time.

You opened your front door and stood there, looking out onto the street which was quiet and empty, except for the breeze. You looked up to see if there were stars but couldn't see any because of the clouds from the storm that probably never came.

You did see a cat across the street, half hidden in a bush. Or maybe it was a neighbor carrying a large green vase, suddenly passing in front of their living room window.

In the distance you heard the constant, low drone of the freeway and it was then, in that moment, you felt a wild kind of energy.

An excitement. Like you might finally start painting, or invest in a good home stereo system or get into your car and drive out of town to start a new life somewhere else.

Of course, you didn't do any of those things. At least not right then. You went back inside and most likely you watched another television show or looked at your phone or poured yourself a tall glass of milk.

Later on you went to bed and the next day your family came home from wherever they had been and you continued on with your life in the way it had been before.

It's not like you're unhappy.

Your life isn't so bad. It's even kind of nice. But every so often you remember that night when you were alone and didn't do any of the things that you felt you could do.

STILL LIFE is about that kind of feeling and other ones too.

Proof of concept, 2022

Director’s Notes Interview