A Shift in Perception

Within the framework of the Australian Living Dreams project, the artists Dan Monceaux and Emma Sterling made a creative documentary illustrating three visually impaired women's unique style of perception. With quavering voices that reveal their advanced age, Leander, Edna and Rhonda describe how they spend their days, how they orient themselves and what they dream about. Using various experimental devices, the filmmakers translated the feelings of the blind people into a film image. To achieve this, they used the pixilation technique (the animation of real objects and people) or obsolete black-and-white film material, which evokes blurred vision. The use of Super8 equipment, which was swept aside by the advent of digital technology, adds to the dreamy atmosphere of the piece. The "time-worn" stylisation together with the funny comments of the three blind women refreshes our eyes and mood, which have perhaps become a bit bored with sharp digital images.