a creature bubbles under my skeleton and dies again and again

Joule Seventeen, visual artist, composer, director and creator of PERJUS, unveils her latest collaborative work, a short film titled "Contrast." This work features a unique mix of visuals, original music, and an invented language.

"Contrast" presents a thought-provoking exploration of human bodies suspended in space, showcasing 11 people hanging gracefully over various banisters, surfaces, and railings, each offering a stillness and potential against their surroundings.

Utilizing a series of Instagram stories, Joule Seventeen invited her friends/followers to send videos for the collaboration, credited in the video: @kaitlyntillery @danidoescolor @litterdepo @allisonwick_ @unclebizket @weaveourhands @jess_elgene @teahughess @jensmckenz @roach__b @amandap917.

Accompanying the visuals is an original soundtrack, also titled "Contrast," which is part of Joule Seventeen's latest, forthcoming collection of original songs, following her latest release Girl Ferrari.

The evocative, droning synthesizers and gentle guitars in “Contrast” enhance the sensory experience, seamlessly intertwining with the visual narrative. And just as the song takes off, it ends in the blink of an eye; an expression of fleeting emotions, devoid of purpose and meaning, but important to feel nonetheless.

In addition to the visual and auditory elements of "Contrast," Joule Seventeen penned the poem that accompanies the film. Through the carefully crafted words, the poem delves into complex emotions and intimate moments, as the words resonate with a sense of longing and vulnerability. The narrator is seeking connection and understanding, while still forfeiting the ability to be heard. The poem ends as a transformation into a visual spectacle, inviting the reader to imagine rainbow paper chains adorning the ceiling, creating a vibrant and celebratory ambiance.

strategic and loud i’m bent over a banister screaming into the foyer

Throughout the lines, the intensity builds, culminating in a powerful declaration, as the narrator leans over a banister, screaming, making their presence known. It is a proclamation of existence, juxtaposed against the motionless bodies in the film.

One of the most intriguing aspects of "Contrast" lies in the language used for the film's voiceover. Joule Seventeen developed a unique translation of her original poem based on the Russian language, skillfully crafted using the cutting-edge ChatGPT technology. This invented language adds an additional layer of mystery and intrigue to the film, inviting viewers to experience the narrative through its emotional resonance, or reading the words on the screen in English, instead of hearing it in any known language.

“contrast”

a customer drills the professional
resting a chin in the hand
repeat pressure, repeat pressure, repeat
jaw clenched, listening to you speak
sizing each other up
can i talk to you?
it smells like a basement in here
cold damp wet and full of cardboard
boxes and backs of picture frames, games
i swear i’m broadcasting from my chest
assuming substance,
assuming form, something you like
microscopic font on the computer,
i’m coding, the formula
curling my fingers together in my pocket
bouncing up and down on planet earth
a little too far to the left and you lose
contrast
his fall crashes into my autumn,
same meaning different words
gasping and
relaxing into tobacco smoke, we ride
it out
decrescendo and
squashing a chorus of nothing,
silence on the table i’m shuffling a deck of cards
a creature bubbles under my skeleton and dies
again and again
razors in my brain
love arranges herself like a god, spent
she turns into fourteen rainbow
cheap paper chains taped to the ceiling
strategic and loud i’m
bent over a banister screaming into the foyer
(can you hear me from across the street?)
I’M HERE RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A PARADE
made for you