Amber City (1999)

A portrait of an unnamed city in Italy Sidestepping the tourist attractions that make the city famous the filmvideo posits an almostimaginary place that draws closer to the reality of its inhabitants Using a voiceover narration that collages direct observation literary texts historical fact local folklore and a bit of sheer fabrication the filmvideo melds documentary and narrative past and present Visuals range from verite street footage to formal portraits of residents to an unusual type of time lapse cinematography that allows filming in the lowintensity light of night landscapes and museum interiors Made in collaboration with local residents and institutions Amber City reflects on the inbetweeness of places whose historical and geographical location renders their reality strangely invisible