What If The Statues Entered The Conversations We’re Having About Them?
As the statue of Robert E. Lee was removed from its place of honor in Richmond, Virginia recently, many words were spoken, but none by the statue.
Mexican artist Natalia Garcìa Clark wants to give words to the imposing figures on the world-famous Paseo de la Rerforma in Mexico City, a boulevard dotted with statues, mostly men.
So she’s making a short film that imagines the colonizers, patriarchs, and others whose deeds are no longer celebrated, having a conversation about the society that surrounds them today.
They talk with each other about feminism – and the dialogue is inspired by hate comments by men on social media. Natalia “cast” the statues, matching their gestures and expressions to the words that seem to fit them best. The words will be read by actors in the voiceover script.
We don’t want to spill all the secrets of “The Statues,” but the conquerors and colonizers have plenty of opinions on many controversial topics regarding women, their bodies, and what should be done about, with, to, and for them.
Natalia hopes that the film will be a meditation on the passage of time, as the course of day from sunrise to sunset brings into focus the ways that time does – and does not – change us.
This Awesome grant will pay for the short-term rental of equipment needed for the shoot.
Take a look at Natalia’s work here and if you’re in Mexico City, you can meet her cast any time; they don’t seem to be going anywhere soon.