The Pine Flat project includes not only this film but also a body of photographic work, mainly consisting of a series of 19 portraits of the young people living in the rural community of the same name. Both the photographic series and the film—which is also composed of, or rather divided into, a series of distinct shots—explore the theme of youth. However, given the formal rigor with which Lockhart constructs her work, this theme of youth could be reduced to that of play, or free time, and its inverse counterpart, work (and the busyness of adulthood).

A recurring element in Lockhart’s work is the exploration of bodily tension between labor and rest: the young athletes engaged in repetitive training reminiscent of Merce Cunningham’s methods (Goshogaoka); workers at rest during their lunch break (Duane Hanson Works and Lunch Break); dancers following the movements of Israeli choreographer Noa Eshkol, guided by her movement notation system (Five Dances and Nine Wall Carpets by Noa Eshkol).

Before filming this series of long takes with the youth of Pine Flat, Lockhart spent extended periods with them, getting to know them without a preconceived film in mind—the village was her place of retreat, an escape from the big city (Los Angeles). She had all the free time necessary to explore their world with them, then to begin rehearsing, like a game itself, the various possible stagings. Video recordings were made in preparation for the 16mm shoot, where the duration of the reels (10 minutes) would dictate the length of the shots in a structuralist cinema logic. It was during these video tests that the idea emerged of a young hunter pointing his gun at the camera, for example.

But is this tension between play and rehearsal, carefree moments and structured research for the camera, too formally imposed? The soundscape perhaps mitigates the limits of this (adult) framework, offering a breath of air toward the pastoral expanse. And in the face of this rigorously composed series of shots, what could be more comedic than an Intermission title card midway through, where we hear one of the youngsters awkwardly performing a Blink-182 song in voice-over? White lettering on a black background—and all the nuances of a voice beyond the frame…

Emmanuel Bernier
Head of Acquisitions at Tënk
and loony bird

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