Art / arnolfini
Playback opens at the Arnolfini
Playback is an exhibition featuring the films of more than 200 young filmmakers from all over England.
Launching in March of this year at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, the exhibit has toured all around England before landing at the Arnolfini for a 10-day stint.
Playback is an initiative of Random Acts – a branch of Channel 4 which promotes and commissions bold and provoking short films by amateur filmmakers.
is needed now More than ever
The exhibition comprises screens dotted around the gallery room, each with two seats in front and two pairs of headphones hung below.
Below the larger screens are smaller, interactive touchscreens which display all the films available. The viewer can scroll through the extensive collection of short films and decide which to watch.
There would never be enough time to watch every available film. Conveniently, the viewer can filter their choices, so that only films of a particular genre appear. The tone and style of the films on offer is hugely varied, ranging from lighthearted comedies to thought-provoking dramas.
Issy Snailham’s Lux is one of the most emotionally powerful films available. It tells the story of young teenager-come-drag queen who uses David Bowie’s music to transcend the discrimination he faces at school.
Many of the most striking films on display also shy away from conventional narratives and instead opt for a more experimental and visually-focused style. Nick Popham’s meditative short The New Cut is one of the best examples of this.
Several others take the form of spoken essays set to video footage or slideshows of still images. These frequently deal with issues of race, gender and politics, all refreshingly offered from the perspective of 16- to 24-year-olds.
The quality and style of these films is, unsurprisingly, hugely varied. But with a little patience, anyone should be able to discover a film suited to them in this extremely eclectic selection.
Playback will be at the Arnolfini until Monday, August 28 and will return to Bristol for the Encounters Film Festival from September 19-24. For more information, visit www.ica.art
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