The Evaluation of Space Part: 5 ‘Ceilings’
Or: “I am fascinated by 70’s-80’s plaster work on ceilings, but didn’t they think it wouldn’t collect dust?” 2007-2008
Text and Photographs by
Oliver Griffin
2012
Published by
Borist Press
Life is boring, why make it interesting?
Almost halfway though Celine Sciamma’s film ‘Water lilies” (2007) the lead actress makes a profound monologue detailing two of my favourite thing: cellings and death. If you think about it, this becomes very resemble. Marie (Pauline Acquart) explains over dramatically to Florinare (Adele Haenel) that the last thing you see before your dying eyes is burnt onto your retinas. There to remain forever, or until they rot away. She goes on to explain to the girl that’s currently her infatuation that most people die on their back, staring at the celling. The percentage of persons dying in hospital bed must be high and the phrase bed ridden comes to mind when I think of elderly individuals, surrounded by family like an Italian mafia family (or alone, you pick), having one thing in common: all looking at the same bloody thing without any choice. Their back flat on the tired mattress and no reason to look at any other direction… just waiting for that white light, that white plastered celling with added dust to invite them in. Why anyone thought that rough edged plaster on celling’s would not collect dust is besides me…
But the only other real reason to keep your eyes open in bed was also what Marie was thinking in the film. If only she had the guts to look Florinare in the eyes and make this 15 certificated film into a straight to video production. Taking the offensive and cessing very moment of life, leaving no regrets and in turn giving the audience the ambition to follow their dreams. You felt her anguish in the scene, emotionally attached, as you wanted her to deflower the beauty that was lying besides on the bed. The constant flirting in the most sadistic form leads the plot of the film in the direction of the conclusion you imagine. But as the female role play out, it’s only flirting with you. The viewers wanted to believe that she could overcome her animosity, accepting who she is as a individual, growing as a person and leading a life more fitting to this strange little girl. Florinare (the beauty lying beside her) also had very mixed sexual feeling and wanting to explore them, this was clear in her body language, both girls with raging teenage hormones‌ but then the monologue came, oh that monologue.
Marie reminds me of the cartoon character ‘Daria’ (originally screened on MTV). Both are two young women that where not be not meant to be teenagers, by passing the whole ridicule of social groups that will later become a highlights of the ‘popular peoples’ lifespan and blossom into Susan Sontage /Sylvia Plath character and head straight for their late twenties with the respect that they deserve. Sadly to say, at this point in their lives, no chat up line with worlds death and celling’s are not going to work until you enter university. So we leave both individuals staring at the celling, dreaming of what if… So it seems that sex & death (to place it bluntly) have another thing in common, within an existentialism context, to it seems that we all have face some facts; you’re going to have a really good look at at least one celling in your lifetime, one way or another.
By Oliver Griffin (21/03/2012)
Borist Press
Life is boring, why make it interesting?
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http://www.olivergriffin.co.uk
Borist Press
Life is boring, why make it interesting?
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