famous diamonds (2016)
A kaleidoscopic search for desire trapped inside a volcano, Famous Diamonds is a short film that studies lies, love, and desire by weaving together a diary narrative and an exploding icon within the walls of a volcano.
The film obsesses over the personal effects of a fabricated cultural value for the very notion of wanting, built up by a century of diamond advertising. Composed of various image-making techniques, Famous Diamonds is a hand-painted, hand-processed tour of the dissolution of one’s internal image of desire.
Composed of various image-making processes, Famous Diamonds is a work that is among the most visually layered of the work I have done. Techniques that shaped the work include kaleidoscopic photography, hand painting on celluloid, hand application of tint and toning mediums, hand processing, cross processing, among others. I am indebted to Stephen Broomer for his assistance with visual effects, and Mark Savoia for a sparkling original score. It represents the first time I’ve worked with Super 16mm, which is a new direction for the format of my film work.
The text of the film is a rhythmic work I wrote about the crisis I encountered when I began to analyze a recent romantic relationship. Rooted in spoken-word poetry, Famous Diamonds translates diary and intimacy to a lyrical performance. Read it here.
screenings & accolades
Presented at 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam, January 2016
Presented at 30th British Film Institute Flare Film Festival, March 2016
Presented at Depth of Field, Jackman Hall at the Art Gallery of Ontario, April 2016
Presented at 11th XPOSED International Queer Film Festival, Berlin, May 2016
Presented at 26th Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival, June 2016
Presented at 4th Winnipeg Underground Film Festival, June 2016
Presented at Out East Film Festival, Halifax, June 2016
Presented at Rio Gender & Sexuality Film Festival, July 2016
Presented at Art on the Big Screens, Mississauga Art Gallery, August 2016
Presented at Sziget Festival, Magic Mirror Stage, Budapest, August 2016
Presented at 6th Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Durban, South Africa, August 2016
Presented at Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival, Oslo, September 2016
Presented at 20th Queer Lisboa, International Short Film Competition, September 2016
Presented at 13th Queer City Cinema International Film Festival, Regina, September 2016
Presented at 31st MIX Copenhagen LGBTIQ Film Festival, October 2016
Presented at Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg, Germany, October 2016
Presented at 19th Antimatter [Media Art], Victoria BC, October 2016
Presented at Asterisco International LGBT Film Festival, Buenos Aires, November 2016
Presented at Bienal de la Imagen en Movimiento, Buenos Aires, November 2016
Presented in It’s Queer Up North, Colectivo Toronto at CCM, Buenos Aires, December 2016
Presented at Reelout Queer Film and Video Festival, Kingston, January 2017
Nomination, Best Short Film / Lili Prize, Famous Diamonds, MIX Copenhagen, October 2016
Nomination, Best Short Film, Famous Diamonds, Queer Lisboa 20, 2016
Nomination, Best Short Film, Famous Diamonds, Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival 2016
Honourable Mention from Jury, Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival, September 2016
“In making our decision, the film’s were judged on cinematic innovation, overall quality, and advancing queer narratives. There were many wonderful short films in this year’s festival and we would like to acknowledge one with an honorable mention in addition to the winner. Our honorable mention goes to a beautifully crafted experimental short celebrating queer desire.” – Jury Statement