About this project

I am a first-time filmmaker in the process of editing a short documentary. I've come a long way so far but I need some help to get through the final steps.

The project all started out with my fascination of the very material film is made of: time. Most of us spend our present time either trying to capture a moment or looking back at it. What happens the day we are not here anymore? Are we unique or are we rather a flow of energy constantly being recycled; in new shapes but made of the same material. Is there a beginning, middle and end? Or are we going in circles? And if we are part of a bigger circle, can we push it out of shape?

In the film we follow a bottle as the single object connecting people, but also as a symbol of the flow of time, of our attempt to contain time and of the responsibility we have in choosing our message to the future.

My goal is to make this a film that comes to life in the inter-action between the viewer and the images and sounds. I don't want to tell you what to think, I want to make a film that is open to interpretations and suggestions. Maybe you will find a narrative in the film, maybe not. Maybe you will find answers, maybe you will only find questions.

So how are these thoughts visualized in the film?  

The film takes you to various places and people. Antique bottle collectors dig out an outhouse in search of old bottles and pottery. In the early mornings people wander the streets searching through trash looking for bottles to recycle. Archeologists try to piece objects from the past into whole shapes again and a glassblower is blowing melting glass into firm new shapes. An auction house is selling diamonds for millions of dollars while a man is putting his own meaning into a bottle in the form of model ships. 

A visual clue in the film is a circle, roundness, and what these forms may symbolize to the viewer. One circle leads into another and so it continues leading us on to other sceneries. 

What have I accomplished so far?

I am finished with all the initial filming and now I am in the process of editing it all together. And this is were you come in!

Why do I need your help?

I am asking for your help to be able to make it through the last very important steps.  

I am seeking to raise money to costly post production such as color-correction and sound mixing. Unfortunately I am working with material shot in different frame rates and this needs to be professionally converted as well. Another important factor is entries and other expenses related to film-festivals - which I very much hope could lead to some sort of distribution. All this is really important to get the work out there so I am very grateful for all the help I can get.

And let it be no secret that this film mainly came into making with both technical and spiritual support from The New School, where I am currently finishing  a Graduate Certificate in Documentary Media Studies. The last year I have therefore had 'free access' to equipment and editing software at The New School. This is about to end and the time has come for me to pay the bill. Should there be any funding left for this that would also help me a very great deal.

So when will the film be done? 

The first version of the film, a 20 minutes version, will be done mid-may. However this is mainly a version to screen at the Truth Be Told Film Festival at The New School in New York. I am working on a final version (the one you are supporting), which will have a running time on approximately 35 minutes. It will be done during August 2011 - in time to submit it to various film festivals.

Creative contributors

I am shooting and editing myself. But there are some people who have joined in and donated their own creative projects to the film. First of all the music, which is made from the vibrations of stars. The sound came into life in the Stellar Music Project: The Music Of The Spheres made by astrophysicist Zoltán Kolláth and composer Jenõ Keule from the Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Science in Budapest. To learn more about this collaboration between science and art you can visit their website.

Another contribution is the underwater scenes. These were given me from wreckdiver Dan Berg and his video series 'Dan Berg's Dive Wreck Valley Show'. Dan Berg is also present in the film - look out for the man building model ships in bottles. 

Add to this the long list of people in front of and behind the camera - some of whom have helped me tremendously throughout the process and whom I owe a great deal. But I will save these names for a more appropriate time.

Thank you for taking your time reading this. And thank you for considering supporting this film. I am looking forward to hopefully be staying in touch with you in the future.

Best, 

Nadia Claudi

Visit the website here: whentheworldturnedround.com