Kino B: Contemporary Cinema by Berlin-based Artists

THE VOICE OF GOD by Bernd Lützeler

(2011, 35mm on video, color, sound, 9:35)

If God would come down to earth and try to earn a living in Bombay, most probably he would very soon become successful as a voice-over artiste, lending his voice to thousands of Hindi movies and even more documentaries and public service films in India. A melo-dramatic docu-drama with voice-over in stop-motion and long-time exposure.

Placing a cluster of camera, release control, wires and batteries into a Bombay traffic jam for several hours requires a multitude of irrational strategies because every inch of asphalt in this city is exploited commercially. When the rush hour starts, it's seen as an opportunity by thousands of hawkers to set up their shops right into the traffic jams. This attracts even more people who seem to enjoy their high-density shopping experience. Whatever looks like a good spot to put a camera in the morning, will be overrun by an avalanche of metal and organisms a few hours later.

Born in 1967 in Düsseldorf, Bernd Lützeler studied at University of the Arts Berlin, where he completed Maria Vedder's master class in 2003. Nowadays he lives and works as an artist and filmmaker between Berlin and Düsseldorf. In his works he often focuses on the aesthetics and perception of the moving image and sound, and their interrelation with technology and society. Several of his film- and video-projects have been produced in Mumbai, India, including his last film the Voice of God and the multimedia theatre performance K⁰. He is an active member of the artist-run, analogue film-collective LaborBerlin. Currently he works on his new experimental film Camera Threat.

Curated by Caroline Koebel for Aurora Picture Show         (Kino B program)