Waking Things

film • installation

“Bass mystifies the work of these plain folk with her own filmic magic.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“Bass’ films are an evocation, a gentle demand on the senses to watch and listen as one hasn’t before, and [Waking Things] is especially inviting in that way.” – Cine.file

“Cyclical time dilated to the maximum. . . loaded with details of Nature as memento mori, reminding us of the transience of this and of life itself.” –Sentieri Selvaggi

Film, 2012

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16mm to video, color, sound, 2012, 34 mins.

In a house in a primeval wood, a mysterious, misfit family prepares a seasonal feast for a visiting party of outlanders. As they shuffle through ritualistic preparations, shadows reveal each creature — one menacing, one wounded, and one worn, stewards of an old tradition, blood for blood.

Directed by Melika Bass.  Co-produced by Every house has a door performance group, and featuring ensemble members Selma Banich, Mislav Čavajda, Stephen Fiehn, and Matthew Goulish.  Made possible with support from United States Artists Project Site.

World Premiere, Torino Film Festival, Italy

Dual Installation with Homa Shojaie, 2012

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Requiem for Waking Things
MDW Fall Showcase

Artist Homa Shojaie constructs a painted, architectural structure made of canvas, frayed warps and wefts, paint, and other materials, each side a portrait of one of the characters in Melika Bass’s film Waking Thingswhich plays inside on a loop.

Structure materials: Steel pipe, frayed, knotted, and painted canvas

Installation photos by Joseph Carr