Anytube

Anytube

The Machinist's Lament

8.0

| No genre available

2014-12-31

18 mins

The Plot

"In factories, everyone has their place. Western industrial production is a site of magical thinking: an old history that will never return, an idealized construction that never really was. It's impossible to know what the true costs would be if it were to return - societal, environmental, and psychological – and yet, entire political campaigns are built around this. This piece speculates on re-industrialization, and is a sequel to my 2013 video, Safety First (Bad, Don’t Touch, Mercy!). Like its prequel, it posits a non-specific future populated by female factory workers. The geometric aesthetics of power and the romance of industrial-era alienation, are paired with theoretical and fictional texts about alternate social economies. Video footage was shot in Ohio, animation and soundtrack by the artist. Voiceover text sources include Industrial supply catalogs, OSHA safety manuals, Monique Wittig’s Les Guerilleres, and Adorno’s Minima Moralia." -Taken from Jen Liu's Vimeo page.

Cast and Crew

Wang Si

Wang Si

CHOREOGRAPHER / MASK DANCER / TEST SUBJECT

Xu Mengchen

Xu Mengchen

Test Scientist

Joelle Lingat

Joelle Lingat

Test Chorus

Katherine Hamilton

Katherine Hamilton

Test Chorus

Videos & Trailers

The Machinist’s Lament - 2014 - English Subtitles