BEATINGS ARE IN THE BODY, 16min., Canada
Directed by Melissa Hubert
Beatings Are in the Body is an artful exploration of how memories, pain, and a spectrum of emotions are stored in and continue to be carried by our physical bodies. Borrowing the project’s name from a work by Canadian poet Meaghan McAneeley, Beatings Are in the Body is a bracingly beautiful music collaboration between Montreal’s Erika Angell (Thus Owls) on voice/electronics, Róisín Adams (Hildegard’s Ghost) on piano/wurlitzer/voice, and acclaimed Vancouver cellist Peggy Lee. Together with multimedia visual artist Melissa Hubert, they represent an abstract narrative through four selections from their debut album premiering in the Spring 2023. Melissa Hubert is often mixing a variety of analog and digital mediums and her work encompasses a strong emphasis on the visual connection in combination with music, exploring unconventional methods of digital animation using organic materials to create a feeling of ‘supernatural awe’ within a digital landscape.

https://linktr.ee/beatingsareinthebody
https://instagram.com/beatingsareinthebody

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
When I was approached by the group 'Beatings Are in the Body' to create the visuals to their new self titled album, I was thrilled to work with multiple tracks. I now had an abundance of screen time to work with and was inspired to expand upon an earlier concept established in our first collaboration for the music video "No Not This No" which was the beginning of this idea of an abstracted internal pill-cam experience. Having more time, I was able to add to the story of what came before the internal portrait, a more elaborate view of the emotional and mental reach of this imagined tech, and to then show it was all just a dream - I was driven to make a 'Wizard of Oz' dream like experience of traversing the inner body, and waking with a new perspective.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
From idea to finished product, this four-part film took about a year to create, and started during the second wave of the pandemic. For a few months my apartment was filled with paper maquettes to resemble the passages of internal organs and microscope slide scenes stacked on the shelves for analog filming.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
PillCam Abstraction

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle I faced while working on this film was managing my creative output and maintaining stamina to produce during a lengthy period of significant personal stress. At the same time I was struggling to balance multiple projects and was frequently experiencing disruptive creative blocks. I learned to find therapeutic relief in surrendering to the objective of the project: to interpret how our bodies internally store the stress and the memories we experience. This was something I had been doing already, so this film became an extension to some of those moments of processing.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
When I saw the reactions from the audience, I was excited to hear their interpretations of how the visual abstractions interacted with the emotionality of the music, and the intention of the story being understood. The high level comments were reassuring and confirmed that the original objective was seen - this type of feedback is motivation to keep pushing further.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I have been combining music and original imagery through various forms and mediums for live electronic music since 2013. I didn't fully realize I wanted to make films until I was working on them during the covid19 pandemic. As music venues closed, and musicians turned to online platforms, I embraced the opportunity to delve into DIY music videos. Commissioned by the jazz and improvisation community in Vancouver, this experience allowed me to combine my life as a musician and improviser and further engage with art direction in music, transcribing instrumental phrases into visual narratives.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
This is a tough question as there have been quite a few obsessions - 'The Shining', 'This is Spinal Tap', 'Idiocracy', 'Only Lovers Left Alive', 'Tár', 'Brazil', 'The Big Short', to name a few.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
At this point, I am new to the application and festival process and am learning as I go - The communication leading up to the date and generous feedback has been great.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway is a helpful and easy to use platform and a great way to get films seen!

10. What is your favorite meal?
My favorite meal is a filling, flavorful plate-full of savory deliciousness after a long day... and huevos rancheros.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Soon to be released is a 54-minute cinematic music experience centered around the journey of dying. Created in collaboration with the music of Vancouver guitarist and composer Ron Samworth, this mixed-media project delves into the end-of-life process within a hospice setting. Video Art, Animation, Narration and emotive musical ensemble work in harmony to guide and articulate this transition.