The words “artist” or “creative” creates different preconceived ideas for many of us. To some, it refers to those who have somehow found a way to bypass the need for practical vocations; for others, it refers to those who spend every waking moment and ounce of energy striving towards an unattainable goal. In truth, artists have more in common with athletes than most people recognize. Many members of both groups are not financially compensated for their endeavors. The few who do receive some type of monetary rewards are those who are constantly pursuing and pushing themselves towards a place inconceivable for most of the population. It affords small glimpses of achievement overshadowed by a lifetime of uncertainty. For every “star” (whether in the arts or sports world) there are thousands who only receive the reward of knowing they have pushed themselves, and hopefully their community, to new places. The support of community is a safe harbor for them. These ideas are well represented when considering the situation around which the experimental art film Ecdise was realized. Brazilian DP, and producer Jean Paulo Lasmar is an award-winning filmmaker recognized for his work on film like: Um Pé de Chinelo, Looking at the Stars, O Condomínio, & others. As a filmmaker who has traveled many parts of the world searching for intriguing stories to tell, Lasmar has embraced the life of an artist. It’s fitting that his wife Silvia Faraco is also an artist, although centered around different mediums. Lasmar describes his wife’s artistic abilities and their interaction stating, “Silvia is a very talented and accomplished artist. She’s versatile; she can paint, illustrate, and create 3D work in Maya. She can do graffiti, murals, installations, and sculpture. Silvia is much more vocal than I. She reacts to the moment, very present, and very sensitive. She says what she feels. I truly love this about her, in part because she brings a quality that I don’t possess. I’m introspective. I think before talking and I often keep it inside. She has to ask me and dig out my opinions. If she didn’t pull these things out of me, I’d keep silent and I wouldn’t properly communicate my thoughts. These two personalities complement each other artistically. I like when she expresses what she feels about a movie immediately after seeing it, and the same thing for an art piece or a book. She says so many great things in the heat of the moment. It’s great feedback for every filmmaker. It is your audience saying what they really felt after watching your film. There’s not much thinking; it’s all impulse; pure and simple. I comment/critic, and/or give my opinion on her work as well, giving her my input about it. To hear the thoughts and opinions of an artist that you respect and deeply trust is a wonderful addition to your life.” So, it made sense that when Faraco was inspired to make an experimental art film titled Ecdise, she enlisted Jean Paulo to bring his expertise to the production. Ecdise was inspired by the short story of the same name, written by Brazilian writer Paulo A. Zoppi. It’s part of a group of short stories of his forthcoming book “Ensimesmices.” As with most artistic collaborations, the result was intriguing, rewarding, and sometimes challenging (though not in the way you might think) for both of these artists. One thing which experience has taught all of us is that growth only happens following a time of struggle and this film is no exception. Ecdise is truly unique and original, an outstanding achievement for any film in this media prolific age.
The extremely original approach and presentation of Ecdise was embraced by the art film community worldwide. Ecdise had its world premiere at the Hybrid Identities Art Show in Almeria, Spain in addition to screenings at the Contemporary Art Show in Venice, Italy and the Arts Center of Pasadena. The inspiration for Ecdise the film came from the main character in Zoppi’s short story who starts to pay attention to the parts of himself that he is losing every day; hair, nails, blood, cells, etc. Silvia interpreted this as his consciousness which is somehow falling outside of the domain of his physical body and haunting him with disconcerting questions: Are these parts of myself? How much of myself goes away with these parts? Does my individuality abandon me? Silvia wanted to convey these neuroses in the most simple and sensorial way; filming body parts with a macro lens, capturing extreme close ups. Her desire was to convey this idea in a very organic and real way. What you see in the film is actually the skin as it truly appears, without “Hollywood” enhancement. They are parts of a whole body. There are no retouching or visual effects. The water scene reveals the body in a dream-like state; peaceful, floating in the water, in a trance, almost dead, but it proves to be alive when it wakes up from the immersive experience as it emerges from the water. To further drive home the personal approach, husband and wife (Lasmar and Faraco) are the only two subjects on camera. Jean Paulo explains, “She [Faraco] came with the idea and asked me to help her film it. At first, I thought that it would be better for her to go through the process alone and experiment with the language. I didn’t want to ‘poison’ her idea. Once we discussed it, I became aware that there were parts in which she really needed my help, especially filming her. This is the way our collaboration started. We talked about how to edit technically, and finally how to put together the story in a way that makes sense to her and the viewer, with a beginning, middle, and end. It was rewarding and challenging for me to be a part of Ecdise. It is easy to develop a style or method when making films but working with and artist like Silvia who is creative and has vision, but yet is new to film…well, it made me rethink what I do and my process…which is very good for me as a filmmaker. I understood the importance of encouraging Silvia to have her own experience while making the film, not correcting or stopping her from making ‘mistakes.’ Sometimes what a more experienced person perceives as mistakes becomes a really interesting and new approach. Also, I tend to shoot everything in the highest quality, well lit, and with very few color adjustments in post. Silvia wanted the images to be raw, lower quality, dirty, textured, lit as it is in real life, with no post work.” Not only was the audience pleased with the film but, so was its creator. Faraco declares, “Ecdise was my first experimental film, and I was lucky to have Jean Paulo as my Director of Photography. At first, I was worried about his background in narratives and documentaries. The films he makes are very different from what I wanted to achieve with Ecdise. He usually follows a narrative and a structure. I wanted to make a film that was more personal, immersive, and visceral. As I experienced him working, bringing my vision to life, I began to understand a few things and learned from him. In this project, he encouraged me to experiment with the language and photography. He taught me how to see and frame what I’m feeling and to do so with a lot of sensibility and a beautiful sense of composition. It would have been impossible for me to make this film without him.”
Ecdise is not only an example of a successful art film but it is also the process of two artist educating each other in a mutually respectful and beneficial manner. When different creative personalities mix, challenging and supporting each other, the medium itself is challenged. The result is growth for artists and the public alike.