3 Minutes Silence
A short film by Jenny Chapman
3 minutes silence: an intrusive silence that cannot be silent. An exceptional silence dedicated to those who lose their lives through acts of extreme violence and conflict.
When the unthinkable happens, we are precipitated into 3 minutes of visual meditation upon the symbolic journey of a universal victim drifting through hell in search of lost hope and a path for mankind away from the cycle of violence. The young girl at the centre of the film epitomizes Wilfred Owen’s famous line “I am the enemy you killed, my friend”.
This short film was made in a few weeks, as an immediate response to the violent events of 11th September 2001 and the violent reprisals which followed. At such times the world’s attention is focussed upon particular centres of conflict or fear; the film’s unexpected focus on a location and culture remote from those centres highlights the universal threat which we must all face if we continue to respond to violence with more violence. “Peace is every step.” (Thich Nhat Hanh)
Credits
- Sound by Donald Holwill
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Girl played by Catherine Atkinson
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Gaelic songs from the album “Canan Nan Gaidheal” by Catherine-Ann MacPhee (CDTRAX 009) (P) 1987 Greentrax Recordings. Used by kind permission of Greentrax Recordings.
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Running time 6mins.
- This project was supported by Edinburgh College of Art. © MacAvon Media Productions 2001
Awards
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2002 Columbine Award for short film, Moondance International Film Festival, January 2002.
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Mediawave Festival Award, Több Szem Pont Video- és Filmfesztivál, Debrecen, Hungary, March 2002.
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Gold Remi Award for Experimental Film & Video: Live Action, 35th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, April 2002.
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Gold Award: Experimental Category, Crested Butte Reel Fest, Colorado, August 2002.
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2nd Best Independent Experimental Entry, 33rd Canadian International Annual Film & Video Festival, November 2002.
Screenings
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Moondance International Film Festival, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 25–27 January 2002 (world premiere).
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Több Szem Pont Video- és Filmfesztivál, Debrecen, Hungary, 28–30 March 2002.
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DeadCENTER Film Festival 2002, Edmond, Oklahoma, USA, 7–8 June 2002.
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11th Brisbane International Film Festival, Brisbane, Queensland (Australian premiere), 9–21 July 2002.
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Crested Butte Reel Fest, Colorado, USA, 14–18 August 2002.
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Ajijic Festival Internacional de Cine, Ajijic, Mexico, 19–24 November 2002.
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33rd Canadian International Annual Film & Video Festival, Gala Screening, Oakville, Ontario, 27 November 2002.