Synopsis
Short film by Nikos Nikolaidis.
A free composition on the poem by Lambros Porfyras.
Lacrimae rerum
1962 Directed by Nikos Nikolaidis
Director
Producer
Writer
Editor
Cinematography
Releases by Date
Premiere
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Greece
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Releases by Country
Greece
01 Sep 1962
- Premiere Thessaloniki International Film Festival
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Nikos Nikolaidis, that infamous guy that directed an infamous film called Singapore Sling (1990), steps into the world of celluloid in 1962 with a free adaptation of a poem by Lambros Porfyras.
"Lacrimae rerum" is the Latin phrase for "tears of things" or "tears for things", which is derived from Virgil's poem Aeneid (c. 29–19 BC). In the passage, Aeneas is contemplating a mural in a temple at Carthage depicting a battle of the Trojan War. Reflecting on the detah of his friends and countrymen, he utters "sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt", which means: "There are tears of/for things and mortal things touch the mind."
This short film, which briefly falters technically regarding showing the corners of the…
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As you stand before the dimly lit altar, a single candle casting its faint glow, you are transported by your thoughts to a different realm. The eternal bride is nowhere to be found and the ancient stones are only touched by fleeting shadows in the darkness. Their faces, chiseled from marble, will forever bear the weight of time and lay forgotten like ashes. The Lord has long departed, leaving behind extinguished lamps in his wake. The wilted flowers of an unfinished wedding now serve as entertainment for restless spirits, and what was once a bridal veil has now decomposed into a mere remnant of a burial cloth.
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This reminded me of all the dreams I've ever had that took place in my house, and how objects and places I walk past every day are very subtly twisted. I always feel tense but, like most dreams, it never registers until I wake up. There is a lot more going on here that I've missed, but what I latched onto most was this gothic recontextualisation of the spaces we think we know; playful and taunting in equal measure. It's really something special.
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Not much to say about this short. Basically the equivalent of a somewhat abstract music video. Set to some great classical music, though.
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This is the first short film in a long while that's given me a desire to create again.
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Watched because of Sufjan. Couldn't find the poem to read. I liked the shots with the mannequin.
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In this haunted film from Greek master Nikos Nikolaidis, presented as a free-form adaptation of the poem by Lambros Porphyas, the ornate interiors of a church are cast under blankets of light and shadow. Nikolaidis’s roving camera takes us through three different environments (beach, church, house) and death seems to lurk in every corner and fixture. There is a recurring dilapidated statue (eventually losing its head), a host of candlesticks and ceiling lanterns and an antiquated clock–the final shot suggesting unity of these objects through this abstract design. "Lacrimae Rerum" is a cryptic interpretation that shows a complex aesthete finding his bearings.
Originally published over at The Seventh Art.
And for the fans (I count myself as a newbie to his sizable cult), check out this interview.
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Ἄμοιρη! τὸ σπιτάκι μας ἐστοίχιωσεν
ἀπὸ τὴν ὀμορφιά σου τὴν θλιμμένη·
στοὺς τοίχους, στὸν καθρέφτη, στὰ εἰκονίσματα,
ἀπὸ τὴν ὀμορφιά σου κάτι μένει.
Κάτι σὰ μόσκου μυρωδιά, κι ἁπλώνεται
καὶ τὸ φτωχὸ σπιτάκι πλημμυρίζει,
κάτι σὰ φάντασμα, θολὸ κι ἀνέγγιχτο,
κι ὅπου περνᾷ σιγὰ τὸ κάθε ἀγγίζει.
Ὄξω, βαρύ, μονότονο ψιχάλισμα
δέρνει τὴ στέγη μας· καὶ τότε ἀντάμα
τὰ πράματα ποὺ ἁγιάσανε τὰ χέρια σου
ἀρχίζουν ἕνα κλάμα... καὶ ἕνα κλάμα...
Κι ἀπ᾿ τὴ γωνιὰ ὁ καλὸς τῆς Λήθης σύντροφος,
τ᾿ ἀγαπημένο μας παλιὸ ρολόι,
τραγουδιστὴς τοῦ χρόνου, κι αὐτὸς κλαίοντας
ρυθμίζει ἀργά, φριχτά, τὸ μοιρολόι... -
Beautiful.
I was thinking seemingly unrelated thoughts: Art exhibitions during the lockdown have been unengaging as fuck, if they were shot like this I'd try to see as many as possible. What a waste that curators are often so dull. (My favorite so far was Cyril Teste's show for Hèrmes menswear s/s 2021, I just wanna mention it because the collection is rather unremarkable but the direction makes the pieces interesting.) Maybe those thoughts could be yet another layer to the "tears of things", how we fail to see their beauty as much as we could, how they too could be beautiful if they were shot like this.
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