Imaginary Muslims & other Perfect Strangers
DVD 73min
artist's statement:
why i made 'Imaginary Muslims & other Perfect Strangers' -
i began researching 'Imaginary Muslims' the day after 9/11
...our first global experience.
everyone knows that story.
and for a long time to come, everyone will.
like a planetary human hologram,
each of us knows the story in a completely unique way.
but it's the same story. and it's something to build on.
something to help make sense of that senseless brutality.
and we all have a very important stake in that story.
my intention has been to contribute to an antidote for the
'clash of civilization' meme that is poisoning the global atmosphere.
my essential premise is simple and maybe often stated,
if less often demonstrated:
-when we see the Other we actually see Ourselves.
we see what we Fear & Desire.
we see what we hope we are not and what we wish we were.
all of us do this. every human.
'Imaginary Muslims' juxtaposes depictions of
Arabs, Jews, Gypsies, Indians, Communists, Slaves,
Masons, Koreans, and many more.
America's Perfect Strangers.
and Strangers are essential to our Story.
this movie is made of thousands of these refracted portrayals:
-films, photographs, ephemera, advertisements, & illustrations.
most are from the Library of Congress.
here they are presented as mega mash-up or media merge.
there are twelve montages have been composed to original world-edge music.
it's a Trip thru the public domain.
a Memorial to American Amnesia.
you have never seen anything like this movie.
i believe peace is possible, priceless, and will require
our clearest attentions and intentions to achieve.
check it out.
peace to all,
- Ken Adams
Austin, Texas - 2006
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