From the Film Maker...

It was a mix of the colours, texture and set design of the painting that I fell for. I tried to recreate a romantic setting in my film, in keeping with the period of the painting (1760s) and contrast it with modern times by putting a laptop on the desk. The main character in the film is surrounded by objects (artworks on his desk), of which some are directly responding to him and some are not. In that regard, it is a similar composition to the painting.

I was aiming at deep focus photography to make the objects in the background visible, although they are deliberately sparsely lit. The objects in the film and those in the painting play an important role. In the painting, the character(s) are only there because of the experiment – it’s the experiment that’s the focus.

I wanted to create a separation between sections of the room lit by practical lights and the background lit by moonlight.

I liked the scenery in the painting as well as the coherence between science and religion, or rationality and spirituality.

The artist I chose for my film is highly inspiring. He experiments with physics and high voltage, blowing smoke into a bell jar with a telephone underneath. His work is shown in a gallery, where it inspires other people. He lets people see the world with different eyes, at least for a moment.

Even if people are not consciously appreciating a work of art, I believe they’re somehow affected by it, as the loving couple in the painting might be inspired by the thrilling atmosphere. By making this film, I was hoping to create an atmosphere.
Julia Toebben