ana cigon

Experimental film, 19'10' / Slovenian version '21'45''
Format: DCP, HD; Stereo
2019

Narrated by
From Below / Od spodaj: Ana Čigon
From the Office / Iz pisarne: Barbara Žefran
From the East / Z Vzhoda: Barbara Krajnc Avdić
From the West / Z Zahoda: Mojca Dimec
From the Far East / Z Daljnega vzhoda: Ivan Peternelj
From the Island / Z otoka: Blaž Šef
From the Earth / Z Zemlje: Julita Kropec
Director, Scriptwriter, Director of Photography, Editor and Animation: Ana Čigon
Script Consultant: Andreja Kopač
Additional Script Consultations: Andrej Šprah, Ida Hiršenfelder and Jurij Hadalin
Music and Sound Design: Vasja Progar
Ambiental sounds and and sound effects: Matjaž Predanič
Extras in the windows: Ana Grobler, Pia Skušek, Eva Jus, Ana Čigon
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Cofinanced by: The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia

A reflection of contemporary society through modified moving images.

Synopsis

A satiric critique of the current social and political changes that are happening in Slovenia, in Europe and in the World aesthetically explored through (de)formation of landscapes and cityscapes. Phony Sights considers social and political issues and even science when searching for an answer to the questions Where we are and Where we are going.

Festival screenings:

"Official Selection": 22 - 24 Nov 2022, 5th Balkan Can Kino Film Symposium, Zoetrop, Kimolou 17, 11362, Athens, Greece
"Official Selection": 20 Nov 2022, XVIII Festival Transterritorial de Cine Underground, Fundación Comunidad Contemporánea, Buernos Aires, Argentina
20 - 26 Oct 2021, Picture More, Los Angeles Filmforum, online
27 Aug 2021, Video on the Beach, IsolaCinema, Park Svetilnik Izola
"Official Selection": 1 - 22 May 2021, 16.1 Experiments in Cinema International Film Festival (non-competitive festival), Experiments 14 programme, online edition, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
"Official Selection": 14 - 18 Apr 2021,"Innovations competition", Filmfest Bremen, GreenOutlook programme, online edition, Germany
"Official Competition": 24 - 28 Mar 2021, BEAST International Film Festival, programme ExperimentalEAST, Competition for short experimental film, online edition, Porto, Portugal
18 - 21 Dec 2020, 21st cellu l’art Short Film Festival Jena, International Competition programme, online edition, Germany
3 - 7 Dec 2020, 4th Unseen Film Festival, online edition, Croatia
30 Sep 2020, Athens International Digital Film Festival AIDFF, Athens, Greece
4 Sep 2020, Woodstock Museum 21st Annual Film Festival, Saugerties, New York, USA
"Official Selection": 19 - 31 Aug 2020, Bogotá Experimental Film Festival, online edition, Columbia
"Official Selection": 28 Aug 2020, International Alexandria Short Film Festival, EKKOKKISTIRIO IDEON, Veroia, Greece
Austrian Premiere: 'Official Selection': 12 Dec 2019, K3 Film Festival, Competition, programme, Stadtkino Villach, Austria
Slovenian Premiere, 'Official Short Film Competition': 20/9/2019, 22nd Festival of Slovenian Film, Monfort, Portorož, Slovenia
Egiptian Premiere: 14 Sep 2019, 9th Cairo Video Festival, Zawya Cinema, Cairo, Egypt

Exhibitions:

8 Oct - 5 Nov 2022, group exhibition Safe Mode: Amplified Realities (curated by Foteini Vergidou together with TILT Platform and Video Art Miden), The Project Gallery, MISC Athens, BHD Hub, Athens, Greece
18 - 20 Oct 2021, Video Art Projects, Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki "Casa Bianca", Thessaloniki, Grčija ([Catalogue](https://anacigon.si/video/spregledani/video-art-projects-program (web) 2022.pdf))
PS37 Award - Poziv Simulaker; group exhibition: 14 Nov 2019 - 5 Dec 2019, Simulaker Gallery, Novo Mesto

Other screenings:

29 May 2024, 10th Lesbian Quarter festival, Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana

Long Synopsis

Phoney Sights presents a vision of the world in the form of intimate letters and computer-modified urban landscapes of different world citiies. It covers a wide variety of topics such as class inequality, political powerlessness of the individual, the criminalization of refugees, elitization of urban centers, critique of the multi-speeds Europe, political and economic fight between the superpowers, accumulation of wealth of the richest elite, etc. From local-Slovenian themes represented through images of its capital city - Ljubljana, the view extends to urban European centers. The European Union is presented from the perspectives of both - eastern and western members. The horizon then extends to the world capitals and bird's-eye views of different worldly locations. With them the position of the superpowers of China and USA is reveiled. The tour of the world rounds out in a caricatured view of the state of affairs from the perspective of the wealthiest people in the world. The last two chapters are devoted to science and Universe. It is a scientist who, through her reflection on astrophysics and quantum mechanics, presents the story of the end of the Universe, which can also be percieved as a critique of the atomization and class stratification of society. The last word is given to the Universe, which, by telling the story of its beginning, presents a parable of people bonding and a grassroots rebellion.