Rouzbeh Rashidi · Feature Films

Synopsis

Luminous Void: Docudrama stands in a league of its own among documentaries. It begins with the peculiar rites and fantasies of a collective of filmmakers operating under the Experimental Film Society’s banner before spiralling into a manifesto of luminescence and resonance. This mesmerizing journey, which views cinema as a cosmic ritual intertwined with erotic delirium, also serves as an unconventional tribute to the art of filmmaking. Rouzbeh Rashidi’s elaborate visual style sets forth visionary scenes that reimagine cinematic enchantment as a feverish phantasmagoria.

Director’s Statement

As 2020 approached, a momentous year that marked the 20th anniversary of the Experimental Film Society (EFS), my colleagues and I concluded our work on an ambitious project, Luminous Void: Docudrama (2019). This film was the product of my profound desire to encapsulate and vividly portray EFS’s quintessential spirit and ethos.

Our creation can be described as a cosmic carnival, a whirlwind of visionary delirium and erotic obsession. It invokes a realm that is as formally challenging as it is luxuriously secluded, resembling Kenneth Anger’s pioneering work, Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954).

In our ‘luminous void’, as the film’s evocative tagline succinctly phrases it, we declare that “space is abolished, cinema is present”. This bold assertion underscores our belief in the omnipresence and pervasiveness of cinema, transcending physical and temporal boundaries.

With its eccentric and decadent manifesto, this film weaves in sequences suggested and performed by my fellow EFS filmmakers. Each of them has contributed their unique vision and creativity to the overarching spectacle we collectively aimed to present.

However, this film is more than just an artistic endeavour. It also marks the culmination of a distinctive era of filmmaking within EFS. It stands as a melancholic, poetic, and deeply nostalgic homage to its history, reflecting on our embarked journey and the creative milestones we’ve achieved along the way.

Credits

Cast: Michael Higgins, Maximilian Le Cain, Jann Clavadetscher, Atoosa Pour Hosseini, Vicky Langan, Cillian Roche, Caoimhe Lavelle, John Murphy, Floriana Mancuso, Iva Kozomara, Julia Gelezova, Suzanne Walsh, Xiao Lan Jiao, Klara McDonnell
Conceived: Jann Clavadetscher, Michael Higgins, Vicky Langan, Maximilian Le Cain, Atoosa Pour Hosseini, Rouzbeh Rashidi
Producers: Rouzbeh Rashidi and Atoosa Pour Hosseini
Music: Cinema Cyanide
Additional Sound Recording: Oli Ryan