L’ Ile éphémère

Laos. The waters of the Mekong are at a low ebb. On a mud beach, men, women and children walk, run, fish or play. Shifts in perspective, the timing of shots, focus and speed transform these everyday scenes into an adventure of perception. “As I was actually filming, I immediately became the first spectator of the film. With camera in hand, my eye stuck to the viewfinder and not knowing what on earth would happen, I didn’t want to miss a thing. That’s how I held the shot – a long take of 50 minutes. Nothing was thought out in advance. My only guide was the self-evident beauty of the moments, like a ripened fruit fallen from the tree of passions. The film as my master – and I don’t yet know how I became its author. At the beginning, there is a man walking in the waters of the Mekong. As I follow him, my eye begins to search for his raison d’être. An overture, like an opera overture, that enables the spectator to take in the thematic space of what is presented. Here: a wide open space”. (Luang Kiyé Simon)