[SAIFF Author] Tlaloc (Lines Drawn in Water) by Abinadi Meza Mexico

Abinadi Meza's work, as described in the diptych presented at the Sipontum Arthouse International Film Festival, stands out for its profound reflection on time and matter, two fundamental elements that permeate his cinematography. Through works like Time Crystals and Tlaloc, Meza explores the mystery of human existence, placing emphasis on transformation and the cyclical nature of life.

In particular, Tlaloc is distinguished by its "cameraless" approach, in which Meza paints directly by hand on the film. This creative process not only highlights the materiality of the cinematic medium but also underscores the transformation of color and its relationship with human existence. As emphasized by Luigi Starace, this work presents itself as a "naturalistic narrative masked as experimental," in which the corrosion of the film can be interpreted as a metaphor for the corrosion of ancestral memory or repetitive natural events.

However, despite this corrosion and the potential chaos that ensues, Meza's work does not tend towards visual annihilation or the nullification of naturalistic culture. On the contrary, it seems to suggest that there are aspects of human existence and nature that cannot be fully understood or decoded according to our known parameters. This invites the viewer to reflect on the complexity of the universe and our limited ability to fully comprehend it.

Tlaloc video trailer on vimeo :https://vimeo.com/852801862

Tlaloc (Lines Drawn in Water) is a hand-painted cameraless 16mm film - an enigmatic otherworld where hues of water evolve into prismatic blooms. Tlaloc is the deity of waters, rain, lightning, and growth in the Aztec pantheon; he is the lord of the drowned. This film explores the membrane of film itself - a moving skin marked by fluid, punctured by light. The soundtrack was entirely made with contact microphones to capture handmade surface markings and gestures.

Qui l'approfondita analisi sui lavoro del regista messicano a cura di Vincenzo Totaro:

https://ordetv.blogspot.com/2023/07/focus-esplorare-la-materia-time.html?fbclid=IwAR3n2-jpswBn0PZEmkEE3wpKn6ksxNc0DAxWQO42z6hIDymaI22drtLHMb0

Bio https://www.meza.work

Abinadi Meza (US/MX) is a Latinx-Indigenous artist who studied creative writing, art and architecture, and whose practice includes experimental film, sound art, and installation. Meza’s films are made with found and original footage, hand-painted film, and original soundtracks.

Meza's award-winning films have been presented at: Anthology Film Archives, New York; Antimatter, Victoria BC; Athens International Film & Video Festival; Atlanta Film Festival; Aurora Picture Show, Houston; Blaffer Art Museum, Houston; Bogotá Experimental Film Festival; Festival de Cine Radical, La Paz; Cosmic Rays, Chapel Hill; Crossroads Festival, San Francisco; Festival ECRÃ, Rio de Janeiro; Esto Es Para Esto, Monterrey; Filmmakers’ Cooperative, New York; Flatpack Festival, Birmingham; Houston Cinema Arts Festival; Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin; Istanbul International Experimental Film Festival; Kassel Dokfest, Germany; Mientras Tanto Cine, Montevideo; New Orleans Film Festival; non-syntax Festival, Taipei; ULTRAcinema, Tepoztlán; Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis; and Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus among other places.