Line of Fire

In November of 1993 I was diagnosed as having coronary arterial disease. A subsequent angiogram revealed that open heart surgery was necessary - it was almost immediately performed. This angiogram was filmed originally on 35mm motion picture film. In March of 1995 my apartment burned down in the early morning hours and my girlfriend and I escaped with our neighbor down the rear fire escape as lethal smoke was enveloping us. I was able to return to the scene the next day in order to film the aftermath. This film is a blend of footage from these two episodes and explores the temporal nature of the lives we live.

"LINE OF FIRE is a real life gothic horror story documenting the simultaneous conflagration of the auteur's material possessions as well as his coronary arteries; sirens in the dark night presage the charred, soaked remains of the burned-out flat, the aftermath examination a march to the death chamber, all the while the thumping-clicking of the angiogram, like THE TELL TALE HEART, ends in open heart surgery.

"Thanks so much for sharing your work and your life"--Jody Weiner, Esq.

Sound Design: Amy Leigh Hunter

Author: 

Year: 

1997

Series name: 

5

Country: 

United States
Technical data

Original format: 

16mm

Speed: 

24FPS

Aspect ratio: 

1.37:1

Colour: 

B&W

Sound: 

Sound

Length: 

8 minutes

Distribution/sales: 

Copies for rent:

This article is part of the Experimental Cinema Wiki. You are welcome to join us and then edit it. Be bold!