SCREEN TIME
Seeing COPYCAT Outlandish artist Richard DeDomenici has brought an experimental film project to Cambridge – Miriam Balanescu meets him to find out more I n 2013, the artist Richard DeDomenici was asked by arts organisation Forest Fringe whether he had any ideas for a possible installation at the Scala decentralise the moviemaking process, in an attempt to show others how easy it is to be a creator – and not just a consumer – of culture. “My goal is that, by making fake versions of things that are inherently DOUBLE
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Cinema in Bangkok. This work would end up expanding beyond the Thai capital and spanning ten years, eventually becoming titled The Redux Project . The concept is simple: recreate scenes from classic films but on a stripped-back budget. While the idea is straightforward, the results can be revealing – exposing how dated certain movies have become, or the over-complicated mechanics that can go into filmmaking. “A couple of years previously, I had attempted to recreate a scene from Amélie in Paris, albeit only from memory – and with a limited French vocabulary,” recalls Richard, speaking on how the project started. “It was awful.” His first proper attempt, a reimagining of Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story , ‘got better reviews from the local film critic than the movie on which it was based’. “I quickly realised people preferred my inexpensive fakes to the multi-million- dollar originals. So, ever since then, I’ve been on a mission to deconstruct and
artificial already, we’ll somehow arrive at a greater truth – although I’ve got no idea as to what this truth is yet…” Last year, the project landed in Cambridge when Richard was approached by Commission Projects Limited to bring his escapades to the city as part of a new public art project for CB1. “I did a lot of research into things that were filmed locally, then watched about 50 movies and TV shows, pausing them in key moments to ascertain where exactly they might have been filmed,” explains Richard. “Then I made several visits to Cambridge to find the locations, see if they still looked the same and check they were accessible.” Narrowing down Cambridge’s wealth of cinematic material was influenced by two limitations – colleges being closed to filming and the pandemic – meaning shooting outdoors was a must. Volunteer performers got onboard and the resulting slate included Chariots of Fire and Bachelor of Hearts . “I’ve made over 100 reduxes all around the world, and because each one is a completely different experience – with a new set of challenges in an interesting place with exciting people – I’m not even slightly bored of the project yet,” exclaims Richard. “I’ll basically just keep carrying on until either I get sent to jail for copyright infringement or recruited by Hollywood to direct the next Transformers movie – whichever happens first.” A redux of 2003’s Sylvia will be screened at Cambridge’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) later this year. Find out more at thereduxproject.com/cambridge
A musing on art, misery and love from one of Germany’s greatest auteurs, Christian Petzold. Two friends escape to the Baltic coast for a creative retreat, resulting in a comedic quartet of entanglements, which plays out against a more uneasy backdrop of climate catastrophe. Where to Watch: UK cinemas When: 25 August AFIRE
SCRAPPER
Charlotte Regan’s feature debut follows a fiercely independent 12-year-old girl whose life takes an unexpected turn when her absent father comes back home. Sundance Festival’s 2023 Grand Jury Prize winner masterfully navigates tricky family terrain with honesty and elegance. Where to Watch: UK cinemas When: 25 August
THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY Richard DeDomenici’s micro-budget cinematic recreations have taken him around the world
24 AUGUST 2023 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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