BANANALAND
Single-Channel HD Film with Stereo Sound
"Bananaland", Single-Channel HD Film with Stereo Sound, DCP, 16’30”, 2017,
Commissioned by PCAI/ Polyeco Contemporary Art Initiative,
Commissioning Curator Nadja Argyropoulou (excerpts from film)
Self-shot footage from the houses of farmers in the small agricultural village of «Los Angeles» in the south of Ecuador, merged with fragments from the narration in 50’s US educational documentaries for children about the origins of ‘bananas’ and other propaganda sources are the starting point for this ambiguous collage-like film that attempts to rearticu- late a painful story. Footage shot in diorama museums in Ecuador is also used, depicting a colonialist perspective on the farmers that portrays them as heroic sufferers, often white, with blue eyes.
Credits
With gratitude for the generosity offered by the Ecuadorian families that offered their hospitality and trusted me to film them:
Glady Road, Calero m Angel, Wilmer Manrrique, Douglas Manrrique, Gladis Calero, Juan Pastor Romero Gomez, Alcida Flores, Maria Romero, Carlos Andres Fuentes Perez, Elao Jose, Ivan Castro, Stiven Stalin Castro Murillo
and others.
Director, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Design:
Loukia Alavanou
Executive Producer:
Athanasios Polychronopoulos
Assistant Cinematographer:
Daniel Bolda
Sound Supervisor:
Makis Faros
Mixing:
Kostas Koufiopoulos
Color Grading:
Alexandros Kapidakis /authorwave
Mastering:
Fylaktidis/Tone Studio
Grateful Acknowledgment for their contribution to: Edison Zambrano and Oscar Johnson
Very special thanks to:
Loraini Alimantiri
Also thanks to:
Patroklos Mouchtaropoulos, Maria Jose Argenzio, George Drivas, Aikaterini Gegisian, Roula Vidali, Soarez Camila, Giomarez Emperatriz, Flores Guala, Alvaro Jamil Santillan Sierra, Lorena Intriago, Viviana Suarez Gomez, Ilias Avramikos, Vasilis Moschas
Work commissioned by curator Nadja Argyropoulou
for Polyeco Contemporary Art Initiative (PCAI), Greece