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The Machinist's Lament
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The Machinist's Lament

2014-12-31 · 18 min · ★ 8.0

"In factories, everyone has their place. Western industrial production is a site of magical thinking: an old history that will never return, an idealized construction that never really was. It's impossible to know what the true costs would be if it were to return - societal, environmental, and psychological – and yet, entire political campaigns are built around this. This piece speculates on re-industrialization, and is a sequel to my 2013 video, Safety First (Bad, Don’t Touch, Mercy!). Like its prequel, it posits a non-specific future populated by female factory workers. The geometric aesthetics of power and the romance of industrial-era alienation, are paired with theoretical and fictional texts about alternate social economies. Video footage was shot in Ohio, animation and soundtrack by the artist. Voiceover text sources include Industrial supply catalogs, OSHA safety manuals, Monique Wittig’s Les Guerilleres, and Adorno’s Minima Moralia." -Taken from Jen Liu's Vimeo page.

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Production details

Directors
Jen Liu
Production companies
Unavailable
Countries
United States of America
Status
Released

Top Cast

Wang SiCHOREOGRAPHER / MASK DANCER / TEST SUBJECT
Xu MengchenTest Scientist
Joelle LingatTest Chorus
Katherine HamiltonTest Chorus

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