Symphonic Distress | Erin Honeycutt, AVAF - Addis International Video Art Festival - 5th Edition | 2024 | English

Symphonic Distress by Marco Joubert, in collaboration with musician Yuliya Zakharava, translates the emotional devastation of war into a gripping audiovisual experience. The burning of roses at dusk serves as a poignant symbol of beauty consumed by the passage of time and conflict. Joubert employs stark contrasts between human and animal visages, capturing raw, unfiltered emotions and turning collective suffering into an elegy. The symphonic arrangement and carefully constructed visual language emphasize the continuity of anguish, creating a work that lingers in the mind long after viewing. This film’s exploration of wartime emotions highlights the capacity of time-based media to evoke visceral responses, turning images and sounds into a shared emotional landscape.

— Erin Honeycutt

AVAF - Addis International Video Art Festival - 5th Edition • Re(Cover) Story • 2024