Today’s second New Frontier title: Deborah Stratman’s THE ILLINOIS PARABLES, an experimental meditation on belief, doubt, science, and religion.
Festival Section:
New Frontier
Sundance Program Description:
From dreamy aerial opening shots, we are sent on an expedition through the storied land of our fifth most populous state, Illinois, often called a miniature version of America. Deborah Stratman’s experimental documentary explores how physical landscapes and human politics can each re-interpret historical events. Eleven parables relay histories of settlement, removal, technological breakthrough, violence, messianism, and resistance. Who gets to write history – physical monuments, official news accounts, or personal spoken-word memories?
Over the last 25 years, Stratman has built an impressive career in experimental cinema. She has documented the edges of the human race with her distinctive vision lending subtle commentary. Building on past films like IN ORDER NOT TO BE HERE and O’ER THE LAND, she now deftly observes the social scars on Illinois with her trademark stunning cinematography and intricate sound design.
Some Background:
Director/Producer/Editor: Deborah Stratman
The Chicago-based artist/filmmaker Stratman has previously brought her midlength O’ER THE LAND (2009) and shorts HACKED CIRCUIT (2014) and IN ORDER NOT TO BE HERE (2003) to the festival. She also shot Sundance alum LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF (2004). Her work, which typically explores the interconnectedness of spaces and notions of power and control, has also been exhibited at MoMA, Centre Pompidou, Hammer Museum, and the Whitney Biennial. Stratman has received the Fulbright and Guggenheim, and Creative Capital support.
Associate Producer: Steven Badgett
Since 1996, Badgett has produced site-specific work together with Matt Lynch under the name SIMPARCH. A Creative Capital grantee, he has worked on several projects in collaboration with Stratman, but this marks his first at Sundance.
Why You Should Watch:
Purposefully fragmented and subjective, Stratman’s lessons are evocative re-examinations of local history that also resonate more broadly. Intriguingly diverse and far-ranging in their individual presentation, the parables ultimately build to a compelling thematic whole.
More Info:
For Sundance screening dates and times, click the link in the first paragraph.
Presently, the film does not have a website, Facebook page, or trailer. Should this change before the festival kicks off, I’ll update that information here.
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