A Pictar
A performance artist and her physical canvas.
Directed by Ben Bradish-Ellames
Words by Katie Huelin
Directed by Ben Bradish-Ellames, A Pictar blurs the boundaries between performance, painting, and movement - capturing the intimate connection between a performance artist and her living canvas.
Through delicate yet mesmerising gestures, the artist draws the audience into the very heart of her creative process, transforming the act of painting into a vivid, almost dance-like ritual. Crafted with a layered visual approach that weaves together the textured grain of 16mm film and the subtle clarity of digital footage, A Pictar is as much about feeling as it is about form.
A Pictar is a mesmerising fusion of film, performance, and painting. What was the initial inspiration behind this concept, and how did you develop the relationship between movement and canvas?
I struggle to remember the exact reason, but I can remember spilling white paint on a dark blue colorama a few years back, and thinking - wow these two colours work. From there I probably spent a good year to 18 months thinking about the idea, until I met a performance artist (Noemi), and I felt she would be perfect for the film.
The film alternates between digital and 16mm, creating a layered viewing experience. What influenced your decision to use these formats, and how did they shape the film’s aesthetic?
Yes, I wanted to create a layered approach. I love the rough feeling of 16mm, as I think it suits so many film situations. But at the same time, I felt I needed to use some digital too, to pick up the really subtle light changes in some scenes. I didn’t want to change film stock, so I felt this would be the best way forward.
That said during post-production, the most important thing was to make sure the grade could work seamlessly between the two mediums of digital and 16mm.
The sound design is immersive and meditative. How did you approach crafting the sonic landscape, and how did it interact with the film’s pacing and movement?
For me the sound brings absolutely everything in the film together. I watched the short plenty of times with no sounds and it just wasn’t the same.
Regarding the soundtrack, I really can’t take too much credit. I provided a few sound references and clips to the sound designer, but I really wanted them (Phil Sinclair) to have free rein and create a sound best suited to the film. That trust really paid dividends. The sounds is perfect.
Noemi Gunea’s performance feels instinctive yet meticulously composed. How did you work together to shape her movements and ensure they conveyed the depth of the artistic process?
Yes, so we did work with a great movement director (Lee Hoy) for this piece. The great thing about it was, although we did use direction, again I wanted Noemi as the sole subject to really express herself. Although we didn’t script the movement detail to an enthusiastic degree, we would summarise and agree, “ok - let’s do floor movement,” or “ok - let’s do a really fast paced frenzied movement,” Just guidances, and then letting the artist interpret the guidance and perform. It was a great way of working.
“The most important thing was to make sure the grade could work seamlessly between the two mediums of digital and 16mm.”
A Pictar leans into the art film genre, which often allows for more experimentation. How do you see your work fitting into or challenging this space, and what draws you to this form of storytelling?
This is an interesting point, I have struggled to find a correct genre for the film, whether it is dance, art, experimental etc., But, that said, Art, although challenging, does offer some really fluid interpretations of what the genre can be. I really enjoy the openness of the genre, and the fact that there doesn’t necessarily need to be any given script for it.I think it is a really strong and interesting genre to work within, and it makes me want to create more within this area of film.
Director- Ben Bradish-Ellames
Writer - Ben Bradish-Ellames
Producer- Ben Bradish-Ellames
Key Cast - Noemi Gunea