David Finkelstein – Dirt
Dirt is an extended poetic meditation on the American relation to the soil, and the energies buried within it. Notions of “dirtiness” and “cleanliness” are re-examined. Centuries of history, of conquering and re-conquering, lie beneath our feet, and the return of the vanquished is inevitable. There has also always been an alternative possibility, within the American landscape, inspired by indigenous culture, of a more peaceful relationship with the soil, the resting place of our ancestors.
A collage of poetic imagery, music, and invocatory language, the film follows two men in a series of esoteric experiments. Their words take us to unexpected landscapes, populated by revengeful toasters, flying fiddles, an unusual game of tennis, and a mountaintop crowned with an electric guitar. A postmodern video opera, Dirt bathes the viewer in music, language, and visual spectacle.
David Finkelstein is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow. His video work has been featured in numerous film festivals around the world. His work has been funded by The Fund for Creative Communities, The Field, Movement Research, Meet the Composer, The Brooklyn Arts Exchange, BACA, and other sources. He has been commissioned three times to create videos for the Outmusic Awards, and these videos were subsequently shown on the PrideVision cable network and the PBS series “Under the Pink Carpet.” He also writes reviews of experimental films at Lake Ivan Film Journal.
