Autoportrait
2012
Video, 00:46:00.
Materials:
Collection: Courtesy of the artist.
In 1971, with the support of friends, the painter Simone Fattal decided to turn to the medium of filmmaking and to shoot over many hours the self-portrait she realised that she was unable to paint. Using tracking shots of the city of Beirut, family pictures and interviews with parents and friends, the black-and-white video is accompanied by a rousing soundtrack sometimes interrupted by periods of silence that are intense moments of emotion and seduction for the spectator. Both hesitant and spontaneous, sitting at a table smoking and drinking coffee, Fattal exposes herself and confesses her intimate memories. Her monologue leads to a reflection on love, men, religion, freedom and art.
