LOSING A HIGHWAY

In 2002 (long before youtube) the resolution for web videos was pretty poor, but I still love this impressionistic look. After one and a half years of experimenting with streaming media at Pingfm I was thinking about storytelling with streaming loops. The first outcome was When Bogart Was Belmondo but without sound.

Later I drew a detailed storyboard and streaming plan and we shot the film in just a few hours. After the editing I returned to Pingfm studio and created the loop with the help of my fellow Lars, who also did the sound for the film. We tried the live streaming process twice. But finally I choosed the first version.

“The film tries to measure the narrative, esthetical and technical possibilities, and most of all impossibilities, of “streaming” over the internet as a medium. On the background of a reflection about media theory, techniques and history, we follow a man who has to achieve something he is not able to, but he still tries and fails. Nevertheless he won’t give up and his obsession will lead, or rather pull him into an endless loop, where he will finally be dissolved.” (official festival synopsis from 2002)

The original film is 52min long but is not online anymore. Please write me an e-mail for the complete version. This 6min short festival version was selected only by two film festivals of the ten I tried. But luckily at both festivals it received the main awards. Nevertheless this was my last streaming film…

// Experimental Streaming Film / February 2002 / 52min / English / RealMedia-File / Produced at Bauhaus University Weimar / Actor - Peter Schütz / Camera - Matthias Weber / Sound, Audio Streaming - Lars Mai / Storyboard, Directing, Editing, Video Streaming - Mirko Kubein //