One of two graduation films made in my final year of university, Siesta is an observation, demonstrating the contrasting tranquillity that washes over the city, and the remnants of life left behind. Siesta explores my personal relationship with culture and heritage. The film follows a siesta taking place in a sun-soaked city, combining nostalgic observation with representations of isolation and loneliness.
My father is Spanish however I was born in the UK and always considered myself to be British growing up. I have memories of being a young child visiting Spain and being unable to converse with anyone in the room. My tastebuds were not accustomed to the flavours of the food and my skin was unable to stop freckling and burning in the sun. This feeling of isolation is something I found interesting to explore as it contradicts the traditional concept of a family holiday.
The art style of this film is influenced primarily by the work of two artists, the film work of Wes Anderson and paintings of Californian life by David Hockney. Both artists act as observers to worlds outside of their own, and I chose to replicate Anderson's one point perspective in some of my shots to illustrate this voyeuristic approach. Hockney's use of a reportage style with deconstructed proportions and cubist influences also helped to develop my visual style for this film, as I thought the breaking up of composition would allow me to demonstrate multiple perspectives and add to the sense of disconnection felt by the viewer.
I also wanted to play with using light as a representation of feelings of isolation in my film. The overall tone of the film is fleeting and nostalgic, like a glimpse into a personal memory. I felt that the changing light would capture the conflicting moods, whilst also allowing for experimentation with the composition of my frames. My goal was to get the audience to resonate with real memories they have of holidays abroad and juxtapose this with a sense of alienation created by the boarded-up windows and desolate streets.