Gods Summit II

‘Gods Summit’ envisions an imaginary congregation of the gods. A summit of the Gods and Prophets who converse amongst themselves at the predicament of what humanity has done to itself. Playing on the numerous forms and tongues in which they have been imagined in history the gods present different philosophical positions, and with it varied interests. The video highlights events from global history at key pivotal moments where irreversible change has occurred. It begs the question of what it means to have Power, Control, Authority, Dictate, Wisdom, Vision etc at the fingertips of people. Questioning the responsibility of media and the like, who become facilitators in the role of the ‘power game’. Also as individuals; what are our responsibilities as people who are ‘playing God’, maybe as we all inhabit an aspect of the divine spark.

In the installation a tent functions as the symbolic meeting place of the summit. Collaged sound clips from 103 films in multiple languages form the Gods’ deliberation, with translation and imageries projected on the tent’s surface from surround audio-video installation.

Gods Summit II | 2018 | Video Installation | 1:13:56 hrs

Works cited:

1984. Dir. Michael Anderson. By George Orwell. Perf. Edmond OBrien, Michael Redgrave, Jan Sterling, David Kossoff, Mervyn Johns, and Donald Pleasence. 1956.| A Matter of Life and Death. Dir. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. 1946.| A Separation. Dir. Aṣghar Farhādī. By Aṣghar Farhādī. Prod. Aṣghar Farhādī. Perf. Laylā Ḥātamī, Paymān Maʻādī, and Shahāb Ḥusaynī. Sony Pictures Classics, 2011 | A Woman Called Golda. Dir. Alan Gibson. 1982. | Absolutely Anything. Dir. Terry Jones. Atlas Distribution Company, 2017. | Acclivity__Twocows. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Aliens. Dir. James Cameron. Twentieth Century Fox, 1986. | An Angel on Wheels. Dir. Géza Von Radványi. Société Nouvelle De Cinématographie (SNC), 1960. | Andrei Rublev. Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky . By Andrei Tarkovsky and Andrey Konchalovskiy. Perf. Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Grinko. Artificial Eye, 1966. Film. |  Animal Farm. Dir. John Stephenson. TNT, 1999.| Avatar. Dir. James Cameron. By James Cameron. Perf. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver. Twentieth century fox home entertainment, 2010. Film. | Batman Begins. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., 2005. | Blade runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Prod. Ridley Scott and Hampton Francher. By Hampton Francher and David Webb Peoples. Perf. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. Warner Bros., 1992. Film. | Benboncan__Tawny-Owls-2. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Cairo Station (Bab el hadid). Dir. Youssef Chahine. By Mohamed Abu Youssef and Abdel Hai Adib. Perf. Farid Shawqi, Hend Rostom, Youssef Chahine. Trigon-film, 2011. Film. | Csengeri_close-lightning-strike-2018-07-07.wav N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Dark City. Dir. Alex Proyas. New Line Cinema, 1998. | Diary of a country priest (Journal d'un curé de campagne). Dir. Robert Bresson. By Georges Bernanos and Robert Bresson. Perf. Claude Laydu, Nicole Ladmiral, Jean Riveyre . L'Alliance Générale de Distribution Cinématographique, 1951. Film. | Doubt. Dir. John Patrick Shanley. Miramax, 2008. | Djgriffin__Tibetan-Chant-Practice. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dir. Victor Fleming. 1941. | “Earthlings .” Murphy, Doug, director. Season 2, episode 2, 5 May 2012. | "Elemental and Animal Sound Clips." N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.freesoundeffects.com>. | Felix-Blume__Cow-And-Calf. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Felix-Blume__Strong-Wind-Blowing-And-Howling-In-The-Middle-Of-The-Desert-Of-Atacama-In-The-Moon-Valley-Chile.Wav. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | For Your Consideration. Dir. Christopher Guest. By Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. Prod. Karen Murphy. Perf. Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. Warner Independent Pictures, 2006. | Fukunaga, Cary Joji, dir. "The Locked Room." True Detective. Home Box Office (HBO). 8 Mar. 2014. Television. | Godzilla vs. Biollante. Dir. Kazuki Ohmori. Toho Company, 1989 |  Gonashvili, Hamlet. "Tsintskaro." 1995. MP3. | G.O.R.A.Dir. Ömer Faruk Sorak. Solo Film Verleih, 2004. | Hasbrouck__Black-Iberian-Pigs-Eating. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Heller, Bruno. "Mad City: Look Into My Eyes." Gotham. 3 Oct. 2016. Television. | Hiroshima, mon amour. Dir. Alain Resnais. By Marguerite Duras, Sacha Vierny, Takahashi Michio, Henri Colpi, Jasmine Chasney, Georges Delerue, Giovanni Fusco, and P. Calvet. Prod. Samy Halfon and Esaka. Perf. Emmanuèle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas, Pierre Barbaud, and Bernard Fresson. Zenith International Film Corp. presents, 1959. Film. | Home. Dir. Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Arte Cinema, 2009. | Hutsvoid__In-The-Forest. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Independence Day. Dir. Roland Emmerich. Twentieth Century Fox, 1996. | Inspectorj__Church-Bells-Close-A. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Interstellar. Dir. Christopher Nolan. 20th Century Fox, 2014. | Ittaisha__Synagogue-Singing-Praying. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Invisible Enemies. Prod. Sherry Lassiter and Joseph Levine. Perf. Peter DeMeo. Discovery Channel, 1996. | Jdberent__Pigs-Eating-Clip. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Juskiddink__Frogs. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Kaling, Mindy. "Santa Fe." The Mindy Project. 9 Apr. 2013. Television. | Katims, Jason. "It's Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Silk Surgery." Pure Genius. 3 Nov. 2016. Television. | Life is beautiful (La vita è bella). By Roberto Benigni and Vincenzo Cerami. Dir. Roberto Benigni. Perf. Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini |. Cecchi Gori Distribuzione, 1997. Film.| Lightning-strike-plus-thunder.mp3. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | MacFarlane, Seth. "Holy Crap." Family Guy. 30 Sept. 1999. Television. | Margin Call. Dir. J.C. Chandor. 01 Distribution, 2012. Film. | Margaret. Dir. Kenneth Lonergan. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2012. | NoiseNoir__LightningCrash.wav. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | On Guard (Le Bossu). Dir. Philippe De Broca. AMLF, 1997. | "Pandemic." BBC Horizon. 7 Nov. 2006. Television. | “Pari Ibrahim at BBC News, about Yezidi Girls Captured by ISIS.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Nov. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSqAR1ifqOI. Accessed 6 Apr. 2017. |  Paris Belongs To Us (Paris nous appartient). Dir. Jacques Rivette. By Jacques Rivette and Jean Gruault. Perf. Betty Schneider, Giani Esposito, Françoise Prévost . British Film Institute, 2006. Film. | Paths of Glory. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. United Artists, 1957. | Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Dir. John Hughes. By John Hughes. Perf. Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins . Paramount Pictures, 1987. Film. | Planet of the Apes. Dir. Tim Burton. Twentieth Century Fox, 2001. Film. |  Plantmonkey__Woodland-Stream-March-2016.Wav. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Platoon. Dir. Oliver Stone. By Oliver Stone. Perf. Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe . An Orion Pictures release, 1986. | Queens of Evil (Le Regine). Dir. Tonino Cervi. Miracle Films, 1970. | Radio-Fragola-Gorizia__chimpanzee2. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Radio-Fragola-Gorizia__Monkeys3. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Robinhood76__01112-Church-Bells-3. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Salvador. Dir. Oliver Stone. Perf. James Woods and James Belushi. Hemdale Releasing Corp., 1986. | St. Ossai. By Emeka Amakeze. Perf. Florence Owanta, Nkem Owoh, Harry B. Realnollywood Movies International Agencies limited , 2014. Film. | Shirdi Ke Sai Baba. Dir. : Ashok V. Bhushan. Perf. Sudhir Dalvi, Manoj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar. Sarla Charities Trust, 1977. Film. | Sholay. Dir. Ramesh Sippy. By Javed Akhtar and Salim `Khan. Perf. Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini . UTV Motion Pictures, 2014. Film. | Sons of the Desert. Dir. William A. Seiter. By Frank Craven and Byron Morgan. Perf. Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase |. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) , 1933. Film. | Soundmary__Snowy-Owl. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Spinney, Laura. "Laura Spinney : Comment La Grippe Espagnole a Changé Le Monde." Interview. TV5MONDE. 5 Sept. 2018. Television. | Stage Door. Dir. Gregory La Cava. By Morrie Ryskind and Anthony Veiller. Perf. Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou |. RKO Radio Pictures , 1937. Film. | Stardust Memories. Dir. Woody Allen. By Woody Allen. Perf. Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper |. UA/Jack Rollinson, Charles H. Joffe, 1980. | Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. Lucas Film Ltd, 2008. | Superman: The Movie. By Richard Donner, Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton, and John Williams. Perf. Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, and Margot Kidder. Warner Bros., 1978. | The Celebration (Festen). Dir. Thomas Vinterberg . By Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov. Perf. Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen |. Alfa Films, 1999. Film. | The Darjeeling Limited. Dir. Wes Anderson. Prod. Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Roman Coppola, and Lydia Dean Pilcher. By Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, and Jason Schwartzman. Perf. Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, and Adrien Brody. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007. | The Day the Earth Stood Still. Dir. Robert Wise. By Harry Bates and Edmund H. North. Perf. Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe . Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951. Film. | Dynamicell__Fire-Forest-Inferno.Aiff. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Thearxx08__Sound-Of-Strong-Wind.mp3. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | The Fifth Element. Dir. Luc Besson. Pathe, 1997.| The Great Dictator. Dir. Charlie Chaplin. United Artists, 1940. Film. | The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (Ningen no jôken). Dir. Masaki Kobayashi. By Masaki Kobayashi, Zenzô Matsuyama, and Jumpei Gomikawa. Perf. Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Chikage Awashima . Shochiku Co., Ltd., 1958. Film. | The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (Ningen no jôken). Dir. Masaki Kobayashi. By Masaki Kobayashi, Zenzô Matsuyama, and Jumpei Gomikawa. Perf. Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Chikage Awashima . Shochiku Co., Ltd., 1958. Film. | The Lives of Others. Dir. Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck. Lions Gate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, 2007. | The Matrix. Dir. Lana Wachowski and Lily Wachowski. Roadshow Entertainment, 1999. Film. | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Dir. Harald Zwart. Constantin Film, 2013. | The Night of the Hunter. Dir. Charles Laughton. By James Agee. Paul Gregory Productions, 1955. Film. | The Purge, Election Year. Dir. James Demonaco. By James Demonaco. Prod. Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, and Sébastien K. Lemercier. Perf. Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Mykelti Williamson. Universal Pictures, 2016. | The Wrath of Cain. Dir. Ryan Combs.Umbrella Entertainment , 2010. Film | The Virgin Spring (Jungfrukällan). Dir. Ingmar Bergman. By Ulla Isaksson. Perf. Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom |. Svensk Filmindustri, 1960. Film. | Taira-Komori__Lightning1.mp3. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | "Time Will Tell." Wayward Pines [S02E07]. 6 July 2016. Television. | Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Dir. Michael Bay. Paramount, 2011. | Twelve Monkeys. Dir. Terry Gilliam. By David Webb Peoples and Janet Peoples. Perf. Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt. Universal Pictures, 1995. | Watchmen. Dir. Zack Snyder. Mondadori, 2009. | Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin). Dir. Wim Wenders. By Wim Wenders, Peter Handke, and Richard Reitinger. Perf. Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Otto Sander. Road Movies Filmproduktion, 1987. Film. | Winter Light (Nattvardsgästerna). Dir. Ingmar Bergman. By Ingmar Bergman. Perf. Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Gunnel Lindblom . A.B. Svensk Filmindustri, 1962. Film.  |  "World War 2 Bombing Raid Sound Effects (Cinesound)." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Dec. 2010. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.  | V for Vendetta. Dir. James McTeigue. By Lilly Wachowski. Perf. Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves |. Warner Bros., 2008. | Viridiana. By Luis Buñuel, Julio Alejandro, and Jose Agayo. Dir. Luis Buñuel. Prod. Gustavo Alatriste. Perf. Silvia Pinal, Francisco Rabal, Margarita Lozano, and Fernando Rey. Uninci Films 59, 1961. Film. | Xserra__Buddhist-2. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Zabuhailo__Rat-Gnawing-A-Rusk. N.d. FreeSoundEffects.com. Web. | Zathura. Dir. Jon Favreau. Prod. William Teitler, Scott Kroopf, and Michael De Luca. By David Koepp, John Kamps, and Frank Oz. Perf. Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, and Kristen Stewart. Sony Pictures Releasing, 2005.

My sincere gratitude to: Annette Fernando, Bula Chakravarty Agbo, Emma Kelly, Nicola , Rhys Griffin and Will Mount for their brilliant help and support. I would also like to give special thanks to Blender for enabling this project to happen.