Philip Widmann

»Imagine two observers: A and B.«

Philip Widmann’s video begins with a voice which explains the title to us in Bengali. English subtitles translate the definition for us: »While for A this force is as real as gravity, B cannot perceive it«.

We follow our protagonist, watching him prepare. We watch as he sets off. Where he is headed isn’t yet clear. The procession which follows, documented on super-16 film, seems exotic and wondrous – mysticism, spirituality and faith all seem to play a role. Is the »force« a spiritual force? Or does it refer to the tensile force generated by rotation? Is it a test of courage, a canonization, an initiation? What does it mean to reach »the top«? The tip of a post, or the pinnacle of society? The events seem ambiguous and confusing, almost making your head spin. Floating above the people, outside of gravity and time – a game of space and dimensions, corresponding to the playful festivities enjoyed by the participants.

Widmann conceives the video as a silent film. The painting-like scenes are presented in black and white. Although we do hear sound, the conversation in Bengali between the people we see remains in the background. The intertitles translate the spoken dialogue, and explain what is going on to the viewers, while also prompting them to contemplate the nature of communication and the unfamiliar. At the end of the film, the viewers are integrated into the video, becoming active participants. The camera whirls around, allowing us to experience what the protagonist himself perhaps experienced: a slight feeling of dizziness, in both a literal and figurative sense. (Tara Soltani)