Elephant
1:56 min | HD | Loop | Haltern, Germany
"Elephant in the Room" is a well-known English idiom referring to an obvious issue that is deliberately ignored. In Marcin’s short film Elephant, the central character—a young woman in a light, flowing dress and high heels—wanders through a sunlit summer forest. Suddenly, she forms her fingers into the shape of a gun and mimics firing shots in various directions. As the sound of gunfire echoes, she is struck in the chest, and blood spreads across her dress. Nevertheless, she continues her walk, calm and composed, until she stumbles upon a bambi lying in a clearing.
The depiction of the woman’s body as the target contrasts sharply with the fact that she is the one "shooting." In the end, she finds her reflection in the form of the bambi—a sculptural, symbolic figure of a large, vulnerable creature lying still. Through this subtle and symbolic narrative, Marcin thoughtfully examines themes of self-definition, vulnerability, and the complex forces of social conditioning. The film carries a bittersweet undertone, blending absurdity with moments of dark humor.
Elephant
2009
Video, HDV, 2:37 min, Loop
Haltern, Germany
In Marcin‘s ‚Elephant‘, the protagonist, a young female, is walking through a sunny summer forest wearing high-heels and an airy dress. Suddenly she starts to hand gesture a gun, shooting in different directions. As each shot resounds, her chest is hit and bloods runs onto her dress. She continues to walk in a silent, conscious manner until she finds a bambi laying in a clearance. The representation of the female body as a prime target stands in contradiction with the fact that the woman is shooting herself. In the end the woman finds herself mirrored in the external element of a bambi, a large creature laying on the ground. Marcin points in a silent way on the ambiguity of education, self-definition, as well as the factor of decision-making in regards to vulnerability.
Elephant
1:56 min | HD | Loop | Haltern, Germany
"Elephant in the Room" is a well-known English idiom referring to an obvious issue that is deliberately ignored. In Marcin’s short film Elephant, the central character—a young woman in a light, flowing dress and high heels—wanders through a sunlit summer forest. Suddenly, she forms her fingers into the shape of a gun and mimics firing shots in various directions. As the sound of gunfire echoes, she is struck in the chest, and blood spreads across her dress. Nevertheless, she continues her walk, calm and composed, until she stumbles upon a bambi lying in a clearing.
The depiction of the woman’s body as the target contrasts sharply with the fact that she is the one "shooting." In the end, she finds her reflection in the form of the bambi—a sculptural, symbolic figure of a large, vulnerable creature lying still. Through this subtle and symbolic narrative, Marcin thoughtfully examines themes of self-definition, vulnerability, and the complex forces of social conditioning. The film carries a bittersweet undertone, blending absurdity with moments of dark humor.
Exhibitions / Catalogs:
Action Manual II, Schloss Rheda & Werkstatt Bleichhäuschen, 2012
Press / Literature:
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Collections:
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Credits:
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