Mal-ander

Ancientry is an early film by Paul de Mol. He films a vase that is on the edge of a pond in a park. While filming, Mole makes frequent use of the ‘single frame shot’ – an extremely short shot that consists of only of one frame, which is the building block of film. Occasionally the bombardment of images makes way for a longer shot, which enhances the contrast and gives the viewer a moment of rest.

In sequence, we see an acrobat, a nurse, a German officer, and a majorette. They are alone in their own white room, and are wearing lots of makeup: black around their eyes and mouths, almost like a skull. They move tensely, and radiate a sense of desperation and fear, with many soundless screams. They are in a psychiatric hospital. The final shot consists of a pan along an empty, sterile corridor with empty white rooms, from which frightening sounds emanate.