Liminal

AFICUNAMcommissionforfourdirectors,Liminalseekstoplaywithpoeticaffinitiesbetweenfilmandmusic.Movingacrossaestheticandgenerationaldifferences,thefilm-makersexplorethisrelationshipthroughfourdistinctstoriesastocontextandimaginary.Withinthecategoryofworldcinémad’auteur,PhilippeGrandrieuxandLavDiazhavemuchincommonintermsoftheiraffinitieswithradicalcinematographicform:bothareextremelyinventiveintheirpracticalrelationshipbetweenmusicandnarration.WithLalumièrelalumière(Lights,lights…),theFrenchartistanddirectorevokestheobsessiverelationshipbetweentwowomenwhoseexistenceiskeptbyalugubriousvoiceandbyAlanVega’sandMarxHurtado’sfamousSaturnDriveDuplex.InTheWorldisCold,theFilipinodirectordescribesayoungman’slifeandhismusicaldreamsintertwinedwithimagesofanerratic,phantasmagoricfuturefullofobstacles.Relyingonanentirelydifferentaesthetics,ManueladeLabordeandÓscarEnríquez,twoyoungdirectorsofMexicandescent,approachmusicalphenomenaquitedifferently.Throughchaoticsoundtextures,ManueladeLabordetakesustowardsthreeradicallydistinctlandscapesinherAzúcarysalivayvapor/Sugar,salivaandsteamwheresubtleandsensualmusicaltexturesinterweavewithaleitmotivinthebackground.InLadyLazaro,ÓscarEnríquezemploysoperasingingbothasaprotagonistandasasupernaturalmeansofspiritualhealingforbrokensouls.