Faculty of Art

Integrated Media

Joel Jacob Mathew

Absence | An Experimental Documentary

What does it mean to be absent-minded? This five-minute, multi-channel, audio-visual documentary titled, Absence, ticks the genre of an experimental narrative as it explores the abstraction and derealization that come with absent-mindedness. It probes into the poetry of the mind's careless clutter, utilizing fast cuts, montages, and repetitional components disguised as music. I chose this topic owing to its eccentric nature and substantial impact on my life. This portrayal of the self is filmed at home using a narrative element as the storyline leads viewers through the events in the brain and visuals to orchestrate the experience of absent-mindedness that runs concurrently with the audio components. Absent-mindedness is being immersed in thought and oblivious to one's environment or activities. However, this term is ambiguous, considering each individual possesses a unique experience with this phenomenon. Absent-mindedness can aid with creativity, but it can also steal valuable time without awareness and is a contrast to documentary studies.

“My mind is like a human synthesizer, creating its compositions of reality. ”