Week 11

Grace Schwindt

"'Only a Free Individual Can Create a Free Society' revisits discussions that Schwindt witnessed during her childhood, surrounded by radical leftwing individuals in Frankfurt, Germany. The text, which appears in various forms throughout the film, is based on an interview that she recorded over the telephone with a former radical leftwing activist who took part in the student movement in Germany in the 60s and 70s. She questions how freedom was, and is, understood, who has access to it and what political and social structures need to be in place to create a free society.

The film sets are positioned on a hill overlooking London. Large photographic prints reference cityscapes and country sites as well as domestic spaces. Eleven dancers carry out a tightly scripted choreography that has a strict rhythm between stillness and movement. The signification of the still and moving body is positioned through a precise relationship to space, other bodies, objects, speech and images. All elements of the production are understood within a choreographic schema; set, props, costume, lighting, sound, camera movement. Each element is equally important and should be read together as a melody with a strict rhythm that comes together through a script that might be better described as a score."

http://flamin.filmlondon.org.uk/showcase/assets/showcase_items/only_a_free_individual_can_create_a_free_society

http://flamin.filmlondon.org.uk/showcase/assets/showcase_items/only_a_free_individual_can_create_a_free_society

I went to see Grace's exhibition at the Site Gallery in Sheffield several times as the film is quite long at 80 minutes and it is quite intense to sit and watch the entire thing without feeling a bit lost somewhere in the middle. 

As quoted above, Grace's work is about her childhood and how she grew up surrounded by radical left-wing people in Frankfurt. I had to do further research into what left-wing politics is as I am not very familiar with it. 

 "Left wing beliefs are usually progressive in nature, they look to the future, aim to support those who cannot support themselves, are idealist and believe in equality. People who are left wing believe in taxation to redistribute opportunity and wealth - things like a national health service, and job seeker’s allowance are fundamentally left wing ideas. They believe in equality over the freedom to fail."

http://idontgetpolitics.co.uk/right-left-wing

After researching left-wing politics I now understand the work a lot better and have a deeper appreciation for Grace's unique way of exploring the notion of freedom.

http://thisistomorrow.info/articles/grace-schwint