Self Portrait (by H. Gayer)

“Self Portrait” is a pixillated film that takes the filmmaker’s head on a whirlwind tour. In ten short minutes the background changes from waves and woods to Eastern mosaics, Indian architecture, and European monuments, while the figure of the head alters its appearance. A soaring soundtrack employs pan-global elements as well, including samples of Balinese and Tibetan chants, Inuit throat singers, and various choirs. The film illustrates oppositions between natural and man-made environments, the monumental and the ordinary, as well as history and timelessess. Underlying all this is a concern with spirituality and morality that gives this personal film a universal appeal.