Samuel Beckett - Breath (2001)

Samuel Beckett - Breath (2001) 

http://www.ubu.com/film/beckett_breath.html

(Directed by Damien Hirst, from Beckett on Film, 1 minute, 21 seconds )

I was not sure what the video was trying to say when I first watched it. It really forces you to continuously replay the video, and I think it is its beauty how you gradually understand what the object was, discover different perspectives and parts of the image, and learn how the breath sound gets incorporated into this piece from each play. The way the pitch and volume of the breath sounds varies as the object moves works really well in showing how and where the object is physically located and moving, and this fainting and crying quality of breath not only works here as the indicator of the object’s location, but also emphasizes the destruction and brutal image of hospital. You get to discover something spiritual and deep quality and meaning in the simple breath sound when you finally realize what the image was at the end of the film. The gradual silence in the end then makes you awe and appreciate how such a short film can make a great impact on you.