remission

2022 4K Video 05:43mins Video created in collaboration with the musical artist UAH. Originally intended as a video for UAH’s track “Remission,” the video evolved into its own standalone project. The film explores the concept of senescence, which is the gradual deterioration of functional characteristics in living organisms, commonly referred to as “ageing”. Cells possess the ability to divide, but their DNA holds a limit on the number of divisions, known as the Hayflick limit. As we age, cells become less stable, leading to random or uncontrollable divisions, or they stop dividing altogether. The film, shot near Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia (David’s ancestral homeland), features a burning tree in the jungle that morphs into a mysterious black object. This object evokes an enigmatic artefact from a distant past or future. The film then transitions from fallen trees covered with regenerating plant life to a massive, old growth tree. The video serves as an allegory for the cycle of death and rebirth. Filming took place while David was on a sabbatical in Colombia, right after pandemic-related travel restrictions were lifted. The film contrasts the lush, vibrant green landscape with interspersed dark, black elements.