(Photo of Raina Lampkins-Fielder, from www.someslashthings.com)
Dear Shaded Viewers,
Watching Raina Lampkins-Fielder’s film was a totally immersive experience. More than a film it was a spiritual experience. Raina Lampkins-Fielder is a contrarian. She knows what her audience needs even if they don’t know. Her new film The Zealot, was screened last week at Silencio in Paris.
The duration of the film is 18 minutes and all we see during that time is a car driving through endless tunnels. The voice over is a monologue by Raina sounding like a Tibetan monk’s chanting. In a way we seem to be waiting for a face to appear until we understand that we are the only characters in the film.
The Zealot merges the philosophies of 47 different religious, sects and cults. It does not really matter if you are a believer or not. Perhaps our life is one long meditation always wondering but never knowing what is on the other side of the tunnel. What is more important, the journey or the destination?
At the end of the film the car emerges from the tunnel, everything disappears in the light. We are left wondering if everything is falling apart or becoming one with the universe.
Later,
Runzhou
