Glitchbodies
Portals of Glitch sucks the viewer into an eternal loop of experiencing bodies, souls and thoughts. The experimental film is a safe platform for an infinite number of non-hetero-normative gender positions.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Rebecca Merlic
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Glitchbodies would never have been possible without the different communities, their openness and their collaboration. From the beginning, the project was meant to show as wide a range of views and gender positions as possible, and to do so in a very individual and personal way.
Glitchbodies is, by my definition, the possibility to tell intimate subjective stories.
It's about crossing boundaries, and addressing issues of our time to produce community Art Games with new technologies in a co-creative, inclusive way. The claiming of digital spaces - the expropriation of a single creator - the creation of worlds - the creation of experiences - for me it's about the refusal of heteronormative power structures.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Glitchbodies consists of 16 Game scenes with more than 47 protagonists already and is an ongoing project. The Game scenes are as diverse as the protagonists e.g. Monikas Freinbergers FEMME scene, the Desert Scene, a new planet with two moons showing a screamo song performed by Harald Stojan, Ari Ban's Boxing scene showing his transformation to male gender, Marie Luise Lehners `I am thinking about breasts´ an intimate story about the topic of being born in the wrong body, Wer ist dichter? train station and bar scene, KLITKLIQUEs Car racing scene AUTO to tackle the issues of the gaming industry and dadification, Haus of Rauschs Temple Gingko tree scene showing their drag performances, Motherland showing different views on Motherhood and transformation of the female body through pregnancy, Antheas Spamworld, Soma a digital comic wonderland based in south American avocado plantage, OneNightinBangkok a limitless exploration of Bangkoks Art, Draq an Ativits scene inside a dystopian Shopping Mall. You should watch it to dive into these intimate sensitive powerful worlds.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Glitchbodies is based on the same virtual computer game which includes different gender positions. Since the pandemic made it impossible to implement Glitchbodies in Bangkok or Tokyo, the project was limited to the Central European area, which was travelable with hurdles.
In addition, it was a great challenge to work inclusively with many different protagonists and to work out certain aspects of the project together, discussing and solving concerns or other issues. Especially through the production method, which starts with 3D scanning of bodies, a very close and intimate work is possible, which is challenging in times of pandemic due to health aspects and measures. Workshops were used as tools to reconcile and elaborate the representation of the protagonists in the virtual space with the basic ideas of the project.
A guideline, as well as no-goes, were defined on how to implement the project in a respectful way to satisfy all needs.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
For me, the most important feedback was from the Glitchbodies protagonists themselves and so far everyone was glad and amazed by their participation and the end result.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
A lot of talking, intimate storytelling can just be created on trust. The trust develops with time and not pressuring the protagonists of telling their stories but creating a bond that is stronger than just portraying someone in virtual space. The project is community-driven, inclusive and co-creatively developed, which changes its narration depending on who plays it. The stories have no hierarchy, they are told in a non-linear way, which started for me as a social experiment as well and of course, put a lot of effort into creating these trust relationships with every-GLITCHBODY.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Glitchbodies is, by my definition, the possibility to tell intimate subjective stories.
It's about crossing boundaries, and addressing issues of our time to produce community Art Games with new technologies in a co-creative, inclusive way. The claiming of digital spaces - the expropriation of a single creator - the creation of worlds - the creation of experiences - for me it's about the refusal of heteronormative power structures.
For me, the future lies in merging knowledge about games and translating it into experiences for players, for society, and for you. This new way of art creation inclusively and co-creatively with everyone involved needs time to nurture relationships between me and the protagonists. So what I would like to achieve is more visibility for the project and the protagonists involved to open up society to the important topics of our time!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
To open up boundaries in our society and address them to young generations as well as the old.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How can we create inclusive and co-creative digital representation as a collective collaborative project?
Would you like to add anything else?
Glitchbodies would never have been possible without the different communities, their openness and their collaboration. From the beginning, the project was meant to show as wide a range of views and gender positions as possible, and to do so in a very individual and personal way.
Interview: January 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Glitchbodies
Portals of Glitch sucks the viewer into an eternal loop of experiencing bodies, souls and thoughts. The experimental film is a safe platform for an infinite number of non-hetero-normative gender positions.
Length: 13:00
Director: Rebecca Merlic
Producer: Rebecca Merlic
Writer: Rebecca Merlic, Hannah Joechl et al.
About the writer, director and producer:
REBECCA MERLIC, born in Germany in 1989, lives between Tokyo, Munich, and Vienna. She graduated with distinction from the Academy of Fine Arts and specialized in analog and digital art as well as architecture. Her work is strongly influenced by alternative patterns in society and transgression in socioeconomic conventions as well as new forms of artistic and architectural production employing new technologies. While obtaining her master’s, she was able to study at Atsushi Kitagawara Lab at Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai). She received the Marianne von Willemer Prize 2020 for digital media; holds the Pixel, Bytes & Film residency supported by the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport and ORF III; and works as a university assistant in the core team of Experiment Game Cultures at the University of Applied Arts. Her interactive game show TheCityAsAHouse 都市が家になるとき was on display at The International Media Art Festival CYFEST: Cosmos and Chaos in St. Petersburg, Ars Electronica, the Athens Digital Arts Festival, and the Austrian Cultural Forum in Tokyo. Her latest exhibition Glitchbodies was part of CIVA Festival 2022 in Belvedere21 in Vienna. She is developing her project Domum - when turbo-capitalism crashes with the Austrian Cultural Forum in Tokyo and is the resident of Ignorance is Strength residency of the European Alliance of Academies funded by Akademie der Künste Berlin and releasing TheCityAsAHouse as a book this year. Rebecca Merlic is a jury member of the world’s most-honored media arts competition ARS Electronic Prix in the award section of computer animation.
Key cast: Actors: 10xflames, Adrianna Knouf, Alexandru Coscarca , Aliya Davletova, Amazonsun, Anja Jennel, Anna Rüth, Annemarie Atzberger, Anthea Schranz, Antone Pon, Ari Ban, Danielle Pamp, David Pritz, Donatella Stracciatella, Ed Roemer, Ekaterina Kormilitsyna, gamerror, Hannah Jöchl, Hans Schmidt, Harald Stojan, Hayden, Judith Kranz, KLITCLIQUE , Margarete Jahrmann, Marie Luise Lehner, Moni Freinberger, Morrigan, Natasa Novak, NUH PEACE, panlert bent, Pat Brozena, Ploy ,Rebecca Merlic Sailor Leviathan, Salem Haze, Sarah Hauber, Sarah Merlic, Selina Huber, Sheezus Christin, Snackjack, Susie Flowers, Tin Tunsopon, Tony Renaissance
Looking for: journalists, film festival directors, buyers, distributors, producers and sales agents
Facebook: Rebecca Merlic
Instagram: @rebi.me
Hashtags used: #experimental #machinima #game #lgbtq+game #gameartmovie
Website: glitchbodies.myportfolio.com
Made in association with: ORFIII, Pixel, Bytes + Film residency
Funders: BMKOES Austria,
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Slamdance