Visualization

• Watchlist

Abdolrahman Sarraei's beautifully crafted short film, VISUALIZATION, is a splendid attempt to do the impossible: to give the viewer an almost visceral sense of how an artist experiences his or her work in an environment controlled by a vicious dictorship. The artist does his or her best to forsee how the authorities would perceive any given aspect of the work of art being produced. It isn't always possible for the viewer of this film to connect the dots, and a lot is left to the viewer to do just that. I had to watch the film four times before I 'got it'. Viewers unaware of the filmaker's situation might see the film and wonder 'What was that?' But as I wrote at the start of this commentary, Sarraei's goal was impossible to achieve. The challenges are just too great. But he comes close and deserves real admiration for this film which promises other meaningful films to come.