Screenshot from Your Security

YOUR SECURITY was shot roughly 658 days ago on November 4th 2018, the final color grade was done by Zack Chalmers in March 2019. Today (August 24th 2020) it premieres on NoBudge and I am proud to announce that I do not know what the film is about.

Of course I know what I was trying to do with the film or why any number of decisions were made but I could not for the life of me tell you what it’s about. I think I am finally seeing the film how I wanted it to be seen, as some visage into another world, surprising and yes, very confusing.

If you have come to this blog in search of answers please know that there are not really any answers. There are contradicting ideas, storylines and messages all imbedded in the film. It was designed to be viewed multiple times through an evolving lens. Its very exciting that after almost two years of gestating, people will actually be able to see Your Security how it was meant to be seen. I hope someone watches the film multiple times in a row, over the course of months or years and see the film change along with their interpretation.

This is all to say, if you have any questions about the film please reach out to me but I know about as much as you do.

E.ZX

I am Laine Elliott’s biggest fan. I’m sorry but there is no debate to be had here. In September of 2018 I covered their face in ladybugs (see above) and in October of the same year they made me eat a cricket. We have that kind of relationship.

The great joy of my producing career would have been to see their vision of Snapdragon come to life, a film based on their brief stint in a psychiatric ward. New York University has postponed all thesis films for the foreseeable future, which means Laine is now stuck for the next however many months reflecting on their most traumatic experience. It is an unenviable position. We worked very hard to find a psych-ward location that would work within a student film budget. I can’t emphasize enough how difficult it is to convince a hospital, used to television shows paying $25,000 to shoot for one day, to let our ragtag team shoot for five days on a $5,000 budget. Thank god for Madeleine Schumacher.

My favorite film of Laine’s is I’m Glad it Was You. In which Laine and their partner, Nikki both tell the story of how they became a couple.

Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

I have never seen a more earnest expression of love than in this film. It’s hard to describe, there’s a truthfulness to it that I had never seen before and haven’t seen since.

In my work there has always been a distinct push and pull between esotericism, sarcasm and sincerity. Laine Elliott has a unique ability to strip away the façade and just show the real, the genuine, the vulnerable. There is one day left to donate to Snapdragon. If you’re seeing this after the deadline, please follow the project.

E.ZX

I’ll admit it, I forgot I had a blog.

Today I’m releasing two pieces I made in a time of personal crisis. The film on the left is called Meditation Piece 4, it is meant as an introduction to and explanation of the film on the right entitled Untitled #2 (Recovery) which is eight minutes of a completely black screen.

I imagined these films playing in tandem at a film festival, eight minutes of just text meandering upon a black background, then eight minutes of nothing. The audience begins to look at their feet, maybe fall asleep. The rest of the world shuts down. It’s just what is here and what is now. It’s not very much but it’s lovely, it’s life. Then the lights come up and everyone goes home.

The world is very scary right now. I’m going to start spending some more time just breathing.

“Eight minutes of silence. eight minutes of a peaceful black screen. eight minutes in a dark theater left with only ourselves and each other. eight minutes to be in touch with our breathing again. eight minutes to meditate, fall asleep or scream if we have to. ”

The YOUR SECURITY screening at Queens World Film Festival has been indefinitely postponed. I am going to look into streaming festivals in the coming months. The film will be online by the end of the summer and there’s a lot more down the pipeline.

I’m going to continue using this blog to release some of my smaller weirder films, new and old. Maybe I’ll even start blogging. Who knows. But I hope you’ll join me.

E.ZX

YOUR SECURITY ELIAS ZX COMING SOON