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director's commentary

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Director's Commentary: DEADPAN BUSTED by Aukje Dekker

Aukje Dekker (author)

Aukje Dekker

Dekker immerses herself, with a lot of humor and self-mockery, in the analysis of the human pursuit of value, meaning and authenticity. Her work has been exhibited in various national and international galleries, museums, and fairs. Dekker is the co-founder and director of SEXYLAND World, a conceptual nightclub in Amsterdam.

Published 12 Jan 2024

DEADPAN BUSTED, 2017. 03:52 min looped, RED, Video HD 4:3, no sound

Deadpan Busted is a personal snapshot and reenactment of Steve McQueen's work Dead Pan (1997), which in turn is a remake of Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) by Buster Keaton. Where comedy is the driving force of Keaton, McQueen moves the emotion to sculptural and heroic. Aukje Dekker maintained McQueen’s Dead Pan's black and white look, absence of sound and short duration. The camera is fixed; body and face solemn and expressionless ("the Deadpan"). The single true movement is the fall of the facade. Only where in the original a strategically positioned McQueen and Keaton are never hit, Dekker is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Credits:

Camera: Marco Reekers & Arjen Ottema

Edit: Marija Danilovic

Set design: Pieter Dekker

Location: Diederick de Man

Special thanks: Camelot

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