Awards

Between the World and Me 04:53
Czech Republic 2016
Directed by: Jan Sramek

Detroit discernible buildings with specific functions turn intosymbols of modernity’s epic dreams. The danger looms ahead that a railway station or such phenomena as automated industrial production concentrated in giant assembly halls will become representative of their kind being generallyperceived in the same way as are coloured or socially disadvantaged people by members of the privileged white majority. Where else to reverse his habit if not in spitting-image faithful stage scenery replicating the once forgotten and newly recalled Northern city whose massive industrial boom attracted within its walls a sizeable portion of inhabitants of a largely rural South.

In its American usage, the term “Projects”has been historically reserved for the kind of “socially-oriented public housing,” usually funded from public sources, taking the shape of huge prefabricated-concrete blocks of flats or endless rows of suburban cell units, mostly targeting socially disadvantaged classes. An optimistic projection geared to the future, a plan conceived within strictly defined boundaries of the existing economic forces, with no chance of re-distribution. In the case of spectacular failures of exclusive “projects,” all of this is flushed down the drain of productive chaos, new forms of organization and real estate assessment according to other than purely speculative norms. Behind the facade of funding cuts, waning resources and accumulating trash sound synthetic tunes which demonstrate clan identity and gang togetherness.

Credits
Animation, Illustration: Jan Šrámek
Sound: Dizzcock
Text: Lumír Nykl
Voiceover: Christina Gigliotti

Jan Sramek (* 1983)

Jan Sramek is visual artist, illustrator and pedagogue. Curently he lead with Martin Mazanec department of Video at Favulty of Fine Arts Brno BUT. His work contains mostly experiments with animated film, vector graphics, illustrations and exploration of relations between static and moving picture. Since 2006 he performs as VJ under a monicker VJ Kolouch. Recently he prepare with animator and director Martin Búřil animated movie Korolyov's dream. He is a co-founder of the art group ANYMADE and one half of artistic duo Vlkova - Sramek.

Between the World and Me - trailer from Jan Šrámek Kolouch on Vimeo.