"The Carnival is Over" by Shirin Neshat featuring Cate Blanchett and Anohni

Apropos of yesterday's lovely video of female unity and power by Cher here, visual artist, filmmaker, and photographer Shirin Neshat has created an amazing video starring the always-powerful Cate Blanchett and the voice of transgender singer-songwriter Anohni.

“For a long time my work has focused on women and the ways in which they defy society’s repressive codes. I was interested in how female singers are universally treated as objects of desire. At first, Cate looks gorgeous, but when she sings it’s a transgender’s voice. The audience heckles her, and she becomes confrontational. When the music comes back on, she does a seductive dance but her face is evil. For her final act of subversion, she takes off her hair and makeup and walks away. That part was Cate’s idea. F**k the beauty.”

Neshat and Blanchett do not have sites.
http://anohni.com

"Manifesto"

Artist Julian Rosefeldt (previously here) wrote and directed "Manifesto," a fascinating and wholly unique film installation that was originally shown at art galleries on multiple screens at once. Starring the phenomenal Cate Blanchett, the film consists of thirteen segments, each ten and a half minutes long, with Blanchett playing a different character in each. For each segment, she recites all or parts of artistic manifestos from visual artists, filmmakers, writers, performers or architects. Siobhan Calafiore of The Weekly Review said each context "explores a different idea from art and originality to the subconscious and society. Yet each one resonates and moves the viewer in a surprising way." And Toby Fehily of The Guardian said that "what matters in Manifesto isn't what is said but the way it's said. Rosefeldt has found a way to shrinkwrap the ambitious spirit and poetry of these texts into humble everyday actions."

What an absolutely amazing concept.

You can purchase a 90-minute version on DVD or Blu-Ray but you can see all unedited thirteen segments at Rosefeldt's site here:

https://www.julianrosefeldt.com/film-and-video-works/manifesto-_2014-2015/