American Reflexxx

Blog post 3     

American Reflexxx

Among my favorite examples of editing with clear artistic intent is the short video documentary American Reflexxx. American Reflexxx is quite literally a societal reflection of the dehumanization, discrimination, fetishization and sexualization of trans women in America. The editing is not smooth, nor is it meant to be. In this case, maintaining the raw quality of the footage was a stronger choice than editing for continuity or a linear story. The choice not to edit the audio, or play any kind of music or voiceover underneath is extremely impactful. Hearing the crude, animalistic words and sounds of the crowd is exponentially more visceral and disturbing than any score would have been. This is especially true around 10 minutes and 30 seconds into the video. I have a hard time re-watching this part…to see a woman lying on the street contrasted with people joking, laughing and yelling produces a very physical revulsion. The image of this woman being pushed down is the physical embodiment of the emotional battering that trans women (and men) receive on a daily basis in America. The choppy, obvious edits and repetition of shots creates a disjunct between reality and this deranged world in which a woman walking down the street is looked at as a monster. The fun colors and font of the subtitles adds to this alternate reality; this unsettling dichotomy of neon colors, smiling crowds and evil, dark undertones.

Portrait of Darya Igamberdiev

Soundwalk

            While spending any amount of time outdoors in New York City, there is bound to be an abundance of diverse sound. For one, the ever-present sounds of traffic, aggravated drivers screaming out their windows, the bits and pieces of conversation not meant for you to catch, and let’s not forget the oh-so-charming cat calls!

            Due to our limited human perspective and auditory capability, it’s hard to even interpret the sounds we are bombarded with on a daily basis.  As a dog walker in midtown, I spend most of my days outside. It generally makes my day easier to tune out nasally New York voices and jackhammers.

            With the addition of the steady falling of rain on cement, however, the streets are less occupied, allowing one to focus more on their surroundings. On rainy days, you hear the sparrows taking shelter in the bushes, the rustling of the branches as they speak to each other in high-pitched clipped chirps, the impact of your rubber soles on the wet pavement, the jingle of dog’s collars. The rain as it hits canvas deli awnings, the opening of umbrellas, people rushing past you. The rolling mini-rivers that collect along the sides of sidewalks, complete with mini waterfalls as they drip into sewage grates.  The car tires rolling along the dewy pavement, the rain as it hits the leaves in the trees. The sound of rainfall encompasses you, offering shelter from the ordinary chaos.