At the next installment of Contemplative Cinema, we will be showing two brand new films by Chicago filmmaker Melika Bass. Over the past several years, she has been composing a body of curiously beautiful short films that quietly tempt the viewer to enter a world of fable. Each piece is stunningly crafted and unfolds at its own pace, creating a timelessness her characters inhabit, surrounded by an earthly magic that isn't entirely benevolent.
Shoals, a short feature that also functions as an installation, has been described as a "lulling, singular peculiarity." A description from Melika's website reads, "A prairie grotesque. On the grounds of a rural sanitarium, three young women search for wellness, as a cult leader seeks to control their bodies through labor and daily rituals." Also included in the program is a short film entitled Waking Things that features the Chicago based performance troupe Every House Has A Door.
The whole program will run about 92 minutes.
***After the screening, a Q&A will be held with Melika via skype. Don't miss it!***
Melika's work has been shown internationally at film festivals, museums, galleries, and alternative spaces including the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and many more.
Contemplative Cinema will be moving to a new venue from LaGrange, where the previous screening was held. Location and more information to be announced soon.
