Chandra and Stephanie joined IMPRINT Documentary Collective’s July 2024 Bodies of Water online filmmaking workshop: “Over the course of the month, each participant will make their own short documentary or experimental film (1-10 minutes) through embodied methods which explore the relationship between water, the body, and documentary filmmaking as a process. This is an experimental workshop focused on collaboration and feedback to explore the potential of embodied documentary in the making of a short film on the theme: bodies of water.” https://imprintdocs.cargo.site They made use of the GoPros we purchased for Summer Session #4 Swim Sensoryscapes.
DARLING OF THE SEA (2024, 3:39)
A personal and sensuous diasporic queer exploration of inter-tidal zones and dune landscapes in the Netherlands. In a country known for its control and mastery of water, and violent hydro-colonial histories, the Dutch landscape is often rigid, tight, and man-made. How does the muddy bottom of the sea, underwater creatures and weeds, and prickly dune flowers allow us to sense this environment otherwise? Inspired by the blauwe zeedistel or sea holly, this short film explores multi-species ecosystems as queer diasporic worldbuilding.
The blauwe zeedistel (blue sea thistle), eryngium martitum L, or sea holly in English is fully adapted to the Dutch dune landscape. To adapt to its environment, the zeedistel has taken the shape of a thistle, even though they are actually part of the carrot family. About 40 years ago, the zeedistel was a rare occurrence in the Netherlands. People would pick the flowers, dry them and keep them as a souvenir until the zeedistel was pretty much extinct. The zeedistel became a protected plant in 1991 and started to bloom again. With their long roots, the zeedistel collects food from decaying plant remains buried deep under the sand. Their roots are medicinal and historically used as an aphrodisiac. She’s been called the darling of the sea, and a cure for many ailments including, according to Nicholas Culpeper, “melancholy of the heart”. The ruff of petals is actually a ring of spiny bracts that encircle and protect the flowers. Sea holly continues to be an essential plant in the dune ecosystem, as it helps stabilize the dunes and prevent erosion.
BUBBLES (2024, 4:21)
A sensorial exploration of bubbles and what they surface, from ritual and relaxation to vulnerability and transformation. Using GoPro footage and family photographs, the short weaves together embodied memories and intergenerational experiences with water.
