Speech Act

Speech Act

Herman Asselberghs

video, color, 16:9, Dutch spoken, English subtitles, BE, 2011, 29'

Following up on his meticulous dissection of the Apple laptop (in Dear Steve), Herman Asselberghs now turns his attention to another global popular consumer product: Avatar, the most expensive and highest-grossing film ever. By way of an elaborated interior monologue taking on the form of a film studies class, Speech Act covers a complex of themes well beyond cinema concerns. As the acme of mainstream culture, James Cameron's sci-fi epic turns out to provide ample fodder for a critique of triumphant transparency, impressively delivered by the established Brussels actor Willy Thomas. Commissioned within the context of the project In and Out of Brussels: Africa Inside Europe, Asselberghs' newest work eloquently talks about all things black.

Text Herman Asselberghs
Cast Willy Thomas
Image Sébastien Koeppel
Editing Fairuz
Sound Els Viaene & Boris Debackere
Produced by Auguste Orts
With the support of Fondation Fernand Willame, Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie & Hogeschool Sint-Lukas Brussel

Speech Act

Has recently been on display at the following locations:

Pompidou, Hors Pistes Paris (FR), Saturday, Jan 28 International Film Festival Rotterdam (NL), Jan 27-28 Wiels Brussel (BE), Saturday, Oct 29, 2011