About
Actress and director Asia Argento created this mesmerising series of film shorts exclusively for SHOWstudio, presented as a 'video diary' with films uploaded at 12:00, 18:00 or 00:00 GMT each day between 16 and 25 October 2006. These shorts, captured during Argento's London promotion of the feature film Marie Antoinette, draw on DIY reportage aesthetics but are actually painstakingly directed by Argento and Nick Knight.
The films intertwine reality with fantasy, sometimes following a script devised by author Emma Forrest and hence blurring the line between fiction with reality. Interspersed amongst the narrative are films exploring the theme of 'Twenty-three words beginning with 'F',' sparking monologues on everything from fetish to Florence and allowing a tantalising and candid insight into Argento's mind (or perhaps not).
Originally presented as entries on the SHOWstudio blog, the comments made by SHOWstudio users are displayed alongside the films here, forming a narrative in themselves of viewers perceptions of Argento's actions and the suspension of disbelief as they follow the fiction/fact narrative of this unique film series.
Please note: A selection of the original 2006 films have become corrupted and cannot be shown. They are represented by stills and the original viewers' commentary from the SHOWstudio blog.
18:11 Tue 24 Oct 2006
are we supposed to be buying this?
18:14 Tue 24 Oct 2006
Once again you choose the path of least resistance...
18:18 Tue 24 Oct 2006
Very Hervé Guibert.
18:23 Tue 24 Oct 2006
Enfin je pense au seul film *documentaire* qu'a fait Hervé Guibert, que tu dois connaïtre : "La Pudeur ou L'Impudeur". « Il n’y a pas d’interdit en art (même s’il y a une morale). Il y a des œuvres fortes ou médiocres. Filmer sa mort est une expérience dure. Le noyau dur d’une vérité. La mort à l’œuvre dans le corps, l’épreuve de la déchéance, met en danger total la sincérité. Car il faut compter avec la pudeur. On peut tout dire. Faut-il tout montrer, même la honte de la dégradation ?"
19:01 Tue 24 Oct 2006
hello my friend. reality is a state of mind and this is scary. your friend, billy23 - the portals kid xxxxxx
20:22 Tue 24 Oct 2006
dunno what people are complaining about though, put all the diaries together and you have nearly a feature-length film for free, thats engaging, controversial and personal ;) genius.
23:05 Tue 24 Oct 2006
In what way is it controversial? Problem is, she doesn't push further...and I do not mean with sex...
01:00 Wed 25 Oct 2006
Passenger: Abortion, dick-sucking, and more importantly, manipulation of audience, in my book, are all controversial topics to be dissected in an open-season forum such as this because people will have and voice differing opinions, hence the controversy. I didn't say it was shocking or even clever though, but my own opinion is that I like it because it is interesting and provocative... the fact that Asia has produced something that encourages reaction but perhaps most of all frustration at the promise of interaction where there in fact, is none, is the most interesting thing to me... but i understand that some people will think these lame and teasing, because they have become blase/desensitised to anything..
01:37 Wed 25 Oct 2006
but that's assuming we take the diaries at face value, which is what it appears we are to do. This is what I mean about audience manipulation, the uncertainty of reality...it's enticing, its frustrating, its boring because we lose interest in being told one thing and delivered what we percieve to be another. We'll never know...so Asia becomes like...jesus (ok don't hate me go with the analogy), you love her because that's just how you feel, you hate her because you think she makes false promises, you are wholly indifferent to what she does, you think it's a fake, you want to believe, you're bored by the whole attention-seeking angle, you're titilated by the availability... it is so open to interpretation, and so has succeeded because of the differing reactions to it. If noone cared, and noone bothered, and noone Felt anything in relation to these pieces, and it was unanimous, then it might be a failure. i guess the point is, if you don't like it, then don't watch...or will the addiction of voyeurism take over? ;)