The Glass Essays (Work in Progress)
The Glass Essays (Forthcoming)
4K, Color, Sound, China
The Glass Essays is an artists’ short film project by River Yuhao Cao funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, developed with the Film London FLAMIN Fellowship 2023 – 2024, with additional support from Forma Arts and Media.
Taking inspiration from Anne Carson’s portrayal of the skeletal image, The Glass Essays will experiment with the ceremony of mourning as a psychoanalytic method in filmmaking, discussing mental health, blurring gender and identities. The Glass Essays aiming to develop a new way to understand the complex historical heritage of East Asia in this project and exploring deeper into Cao’s experience and private memories as a queer individual marginalized in the native environment of Southern China. This project is expected to be filmed in later 2024.
Location Research, The Glass Essay, River Cao, 2024
Synopsis
A young man holds a flashlight, following the sound of ancient musical instruments, guided to the stage within the woods. On the stage, a middle-aged woman hums softly, and the young man watches in silence. Fireworks explode above the stage like drumbeats. Interspersed between these elements, there will be silent woods of Southern China landscape shots.
Rehearsal with the mobile stage van, The Glass Essay, River Cao, 2024
Film Set
The film set will focus on the Stage. In the film, a traditional, travelable stage will be built in the woods. This stage will be transformed and unfolded from the body of a medium-sized truck in the silent night, decorated with red curtains and light bulbs. The stage will refer to the local mobile funeral performance stage in southern China. Funerals are often held at the places where the deceased lived, most of which are private courtyards in countryside areas. Therefore, travelable stage vehicles are slowly developing and being used in different places for funeral performances. The content of the performance is mostly a mourning opera, with costumes and props. The performance is dedicated to resonating with the audience’s grief, giving space to the bereaved, and satisfying their nostalgia.
Rehearsal with musician & performer
Left – Musician: Chen Dao; Right – Performer: Huang Jianhui
