Pain trees
Concept
A short animated film representing oppression and the malicious destruction of innocence. Silent, except for the sound of the wind, which is a constant soundtrack throughout.
Inspired by William Kentridge, I enivsage this being B&W hand-drawn charcoal animation - if only I could do such things...
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Begins with a bare hill and windy/stormy sky. After a while, a bird flies over and drops a seed.
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A little later again, a tree begins to grow. The tree is happily growing, periodically producing new leaves and steadily getting taller.
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People appear and begin the process of taking control. They thrust a spear through the trunk and use it as a ladder to reach the lower branches, which they lop off and carry away. The spear stays in the tree. The tree continues to grow. |
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The owners come back periodically. Each time they appear, they thrust in a new spear, higher each time, so that they can continue to reach the lower branches, which they cut off. Each time, they leave the spears in the tree. |
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Eventually, all that is left of the tree is a trunk full of spears. The tree is still clinging to life - a single new leaf appears at it's crown. But the people are not finished yet; they have a deeper cruelty to inflict, a final blow to strike on the tree. |
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They reappear, attach ropes to each end of each spear and the tree is slowly, agonisingly bent towards the ground. And tethered there. Now the tree will forever bow to their wishes. The tree's last leaf falls slowly, like a tear. |
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Pull back to reveal mountain upon mountain topped with spiked, tethered, barely alive trees. A sadistic landscape. |
Bea Pierce, 2003