Summary:

In seven scenarios, the documentary VR work explores the relationship between space and body in Singapore’s iconic modernist shopping malls.

The Seven-Step Verse is inspired by the Chinese poet Cao Zhi, who believed that a poem in seven verses shows wit, speed, and creativity. The performers occupy the malls, appropriating clothing and gestures and reciting texts as they pass by – thus pointing to the underlying ideological and social hierarchies.

Director Bio:

Ella Raidel is an Austrian filmmaker and visual artist, and researcher living in Asia for more than 20 years. She is an Assistant Professor at NTU Singapore. In her interdisciplinary works, she focuses on the socio-cultural aspects of globalization, urbanization, and the representation of images. Her hybrid practice is to create a discursive space for filmmaking, art, and research.

Ella Raidel’s works have participated in international biennials and exhibitions and presented at numerous International film festivals, including IFFR International Film Festival Rotterdam, CPH: DOX Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, DOK Leipzig, Hot Docs Canada, and Chicago International Film Festival.