þykja
March 5, 2006 9:13 AM   Subscribe

The Answer : A one minute video shot in Iceland. (google video)
posted by hypersloth (69 comments total)
 
The Answer' by Peter J Charlton

Be not afraid

Be not afraid of the spooks,
of the ones that would have your hearts burn with hatred.
Be not afraid of the ghosts
who would have you build your own prison walls
with evermore pace and frenzy.

Be Still.
And love shall uncloak the thieves that have stolen our innocence.
Writer/Director/Camera/Effects: Peter J Charlton
Answerer: Thordis Elva Bachman
posted by hypersloth at 9:14 AM on March 5, 2006


Buncha hippie bullshit.
posted by Decani at 9:21 AM on March 5, 2006


meh, well it only cost one minute.
posted by hypersloth at 9:23 AM on March 5, 2006


they overcharged.

I want my minute back.
posted by C.Batt at 9:40 AM on March 5, 2006


Wow. Powerfully lame and overwrought.
posted by Falconetti at 9:40 AM on March 5, 2006


Whatever your view of whether or not this is (good / bad) art, it's an honest and plain affirmation of humanity felt across nations, and while it might not be the very best of the web, I don't think it's meh-worthy.
posted by paperpete at 9:42 AM on March 5, 2006


Why a cellphone? I are stupid.

Nice eyelashes.
posted by sidereal at 9:46 AM on March 5, 2006


It's some sort of travel ad? Wi nøt trei a høliday in Island this yër?

it's an honest and plain affirmation of humanity felt across nations, and while it might not be the very best of the web, I don't think it's meh-worthy

Nah. Good intentions can still lead to overwrought crap.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:50 AM on March 5, 2006


Is it just me, or is the airplane unleashing a great torrent of urine?
posted by selfnoise at 9:53 AM on March 5, 2006


Where you at dog?!?
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 10:14 AM on March 5, 2006


be not impressed.
posted by furtive at 10:24 AM on March 5, 2006


There's a correlation between this video, sigur ros, and bjork. A hippy-dippy correlation.
posted by puke & cry at 10:33 AM on March 5, 2006 [1 favorite]


Thanks, hypersloth. To you naysayers: You don't get it, then. You will.
posted by sluglicker at 10:39 AM on March 5, 2006


I say nay. Maybe someone would like to explain what it is I'm not getting.
posted by Soulfather at 10:48 AM on March 5, 2006


Misleading. You shouldn't call this a one minute video shot of Iceland, you should call this a 45 second view of a woman mumbling bad poetry on a cell phone in front of a waterfall. Oh, and everything's covered in a dark shadow, so you can't really make out anything.

Although normally I would rather stab at my eyes with a corked fork than listen to Bjork, a Bjork video would have been preferable.
posted by Davenhill at 10:51 AM on March 5, 2006


Crap.
posted by Krrrlson at 10:53 AM on March 5, 2006


Whatever your view of whether or not this is (good / bad) art, it's an honest and plain affirmation of humanity felt across nations, and while it might not be the very best of the web, I don't think it's meh-worthy.

This is an example of what our grandparents called "cant" or "hokum" (depending on their geographical/cultural background). Hearing nonsense like that makes me want to go out and pollute the environment. Keep it up and I'll start killing whales as well. Forewarned is having an extra pair of arms.
posted by languagehat at 10:54 AM on March 5, 2006


lol okay

BE STILL

lol
posted by thirteenkiller at 10:55 AM on March 5, 2006


I want to believe get it.
posted by basicchannel at 10:57 AM on March 5, 2006


I'll give the poem some credit, but for christ's sake, languagehat nails it. Reciting poetry into a cellphone != great art.

Not worst of the web, but a potential Cruel.com candidate nonetheless.
posted by ChrisR at 11:01 AM on March 5, 2006


I wish I had the video tools to do a heartless mashup of this.
posted by sidereal at 11:08 AM on March 5, 2006


Well I liked it. Icelandish sounds outlandish.
posted by hgbrian at 11:20 AM on March 5, 2006


languagehat for the win.
posted by shmegegge at 11:30 AM on March 5, 2006


Yeah, damn long-hairs. I wish they'd stop trying to pull this stupid greasy peace and love bullshit they keep going on about. Damn it, humanity doesn't need peace and love! We're getting along just fine on this stupid dirtball of ours. We don't need no idealistic trash tryin' ta fix what ain't broke and we don't need no goddamn Bjork.

Now let's get a fuckin' beer and swear moodily at eachother for a while.



I would have preferred they left out the cheesy SFX in this video, but it was a fragment worth 50 of my seconds on a Sunday evening. In English translation, not such a great poem, perhaps. But in Icelandic, any poem is great! Thanks for the post hypersloth, ya hippy ♥.
posted by Drexen at 11:36 AM on March 5, 2006


so what was the question?
posted by pyramid termite at 11:41 AM on March 5, 2006


Come on, this is shallow, saccharine arse. It's the kind of empty, pseudo-profound drivel that makes me think Desiderata is an incredibly deep philosophical masterwork. And oh yes, I am indeed a child of the universe. No less than the trees and the stars, I have a right PLEASE KILL ME NOW BEFORE I HURT MYSELF.
posted by Decani at 11:42 AM on March 5, 2006


Ok, why you don't get it:
This is an artistic piece and not subject to logic. Comments such as "why the cell phone?" indicates that one doesn't understand what the artist is trying communicate. Secondly, the words are poetic and don't necessarily mean their literal translation. Thirdly, translating Icelandic to English (or any language to any language, for that matter) is somewhat an art in itself and is usually at best, difficult. For instance, the woman uses the word "vofa" and it's translated as "spook". It could also mean phantom, apparition, spectre or spirit. These would be simply literal translations and might not reflect what the artist had in mind.

The word "andi" is used and translated as "ghost". A more correct translation might be breath or mind or spirit. What I personally found most striking about the video was the expressions on the woman's face. They told me much more than the images, music and speech. Lastly, the worst anyone can say about this video is "I derived no meaning from it". That's a fair analysis. But to state "this is crap" insults the poster, who must have gotten some meaning from the video, else he/she wouldn't have shared it with the rest of us.
posted by sluglicker at 11:43 AM on March 5, 2006


Interesting visual.

And ya know, I probably wasn't going to do anything better with that minute, anyway.
posted by darkstar at 11:44 AM on March 5, 2006


Comments such as "why the cell phone?" indicates that one doesn't understand what the artist is trying communicate.

Bingo!

So what's it for? Or is this one of those "if you have to ask, you're too nekulturny to understand the answer" situations?
posted by sidereal at 12:16 PM on March 5, 2006


Everything is more artistic if it's recited by a pretty girl in a foreign language.
posted by ook at 12:20 PM on March 5, 2006


MetaFilter: Fucking Icelandic amateurs.
posted by sveskemus at 12:55 PM on March 5, 2006


It's alright, love. East some Þorramatur and you'll be as angry as the rest of us.
posted by lalochezia at 12:58 PM on March 5, 2006


can somebody briefly explain to me how in fuck's name man came to inhabite that land? do they actually use the word 'iceland' to describe their country? the fuck are they doing out there?

crap.
posted by phaedon at 1:09 PM on March 5, 2006


sluglicker, you are as full of shit as this crappy video (no offense).
posted by JeffK at 1:13 PM on March 5, 2006


But to state "this is crap" insults the poster, who must have gotten some meaning from the video, else he/she wouldn't have shared it with the rest of us.

Yes, we must accept all posts as the wondrous, perfect flowers their creators see them as, otherwise we'll insult the poster! Good thinking!

you are as full of shit as this crappy video (no offense)


Heh.
posted by languagehat at 1:29 PM on March 5, 2006


That was the best crypto-fetishist golden shower movie I've seen all week.
posted by todbot at 1:38 PM on March 5, 2006


Yeah, we should have more of "America, fuck yeah!" stuff instead.
posted by c13 at 1:41 PM on March 5, 2006


Forgive us. Subtlety is not something we do or even understand here on Metafilter. We are bulls in the world's china shop.
posted by crunchland at 1:45 PM on March 5, 2006


See the løveli lakes

The wonderful telephøne system

And mani interesting furry animals


Did I miss the furry animals?
posted by aberrant at 1:46 PM on March 5, 2006


can somebody briefly explain to me how in fuck's name man came to inhabite that land?

viking travel agencies weren't known for their honesty in advertising
posted by pyramid termite at 1:49 PM on March 5, 2006


Great video....

For the 10th (sophomoric) grade trolls;

The cell phone is because the people on the 9/11 planes were calling home when they knew they were going to die.
posted by meddeviceengineer at 1:55 PM on March 5, 2006


Yeah, I didn't think much of it when I saw it, but now, a few hours later?

It kind of touched me.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:09 PM on March 5, 2006


If he could get Eszterhas to punch up the third act I think he might really have something there.
posted by planetkyoto at 2:33 PM on March 5, 2006


meddeviceengineer: it still sucks. it's not trolling to say it sucks, neither is it sophomoric. this is poorly conceived and poorly executed art that should be ashamed of itself for even pretending to the name.
posted by shmegegge at 2:34 PM on March 5, 2006


> The cell phone is because the people on the 9/11 planes were calling home when they knew they were going to die.

Wait, so it's supposed to be a tribute to the victims of 9/11?
posted by funambulist at 2:45 PM on March 5, 2006


No, it is not.
posted by c13 at 2:48 PM on March 5, 2006


isn't the artist trying to make a point about technology? juxtapose nature & machines... something like that?

I got pretty hammered last night and so right now the hamster's not running very well, maybe someone else can do it better.
posted by WetherMan at 3:07 PM on March 5, 2006


I kept expecting it to turn into a car commercial.
posted by slatternus at 3:11 PM on March 5, 2006


Obviously, none of you have ever watched The Seventh Seal. Look. It's winter up there. The sun hasn't set for months. They're all a little loopy up there in the artic circle. Cut em some slack.
posted by crunchland at 3:25 PM on March 5, 2006


Jeffk..."sluglicker, you are as full of shit as this crappy video (no offense)"..

You contributed WHAT with that comment? Thanks for taking Meta to a new level...
posted by HuronBob at 3:33 PM on March 5, 2006


The cell phone is because the people on the 9/11 planes were calling home when they knew they were going to die.

and of course, any passenger in that situation is going to call some gothy looking icelandic chick by a waterfall and listen to her babble about spooks ... i know i would

it's not spooks who make people burn with hatred ... it's real flesh and blood radicals

it's not ghosts who make us build prison walls of fear ... it's those talking heads on the tv who rush to tell us what the latest lunatic has done and are tardy to tell us about people who do good things for others

the cloak isn't over the thieves ... it's over the eyes of those who see them and fail to recognize them as thieves

the problem here is the literal meaning of these cliches present a false picture
posted by pyramid termite at 3:42 PM on March 5, 2006


Wait, so it's supposed to be a tribute to the victims of 9/11?

I read it more as, 'Hey, America, the rest of the world knows 9/11 was sad and all, but tone the angry down a bit, or you'll just make things worse.'
posted by Soulfather at 3:44 PM on March 5, 2006


Not sure whom meddeviceengineer is snarking, but really, I dinna get it.
posted by sidereal at 3:48 PM on March 5, 2006


This is what I got out of it too. Didn't mean to ruin anyone's minute.. I'm half-Icelandic, and therefore more than a little partial to the sound of it.
posted by hypersloth at 3:52 PM on March 5, 2006


Mefi translation needed? I guess the chick should have thrown things around and spit out her message in rap?
posted by Surfurrus at 4:00 PM on March 5, 2006


But to state "this is crap" insults the poster,

I'm not sure it does, but even if it does, so what?
posted by Decani at 4:24 PM on March 5, 2006


OH, IT'S ABOUT 9-11.

Now it's even worse.
posted by Citizen Premier at 6:24 PM on March 5, 2006


Too boring and pretentious.
posted by hjo3 at 9:10 PM on March 5, 2006


We can debate about it being pretentious, but boring? It's 60 seconds long! Jesus, talk about a short attention span.
posted by crunchland at 9:40 PM on March 5, 2006


She was pretty. There was a plane. I liked the water fall. The words wassn't in English, but they tole you what they said at the bottom. She said love is the answer to being afraid of ghosts an thiefs an spooky things. /5th grade film studies essay
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:04 PM on March 5, 2006


I was waiting for "Don't let our cellphones ruin the movie," and the Nokia logo.

WTF?
posted by disillusioned at 12:46 AM on March 6, 2006


When the plane disappears do all the people on it die? Because, if so, then it's worse than crappy, it might as well be a snuff film. /hyperbole
posted by OmieWise at 6:54 AM on March 6, 2006


i'd hit it.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 8:23 AM on March 6, 2006


I do miss Iceland...
posted by Smedleyman at 9:37 AM on March 6, 2006


We have 'intellectual ' videos (docs) about how the 'war on terror' is a pretext to keep western populations controled and living in fear... why not something poetic, appealing to emotions.

It's about 9/11 and the way the administration 'spooks' can now produce 'fear and hatred' for anything foreign.

Ever noticed the Homeland Security Threat never goes below 'elevated'? It's a very useful tool.

Hannity on FOX says the Democrats have a 'pre-9/11 mind-set' - what is that meant to mean?
posted by RufusW at 5:27 PM on March 6, 2006


Don't drink the yellow flow.
posted by quantumetric at 9:53 AM on March 7, 2006


We can debate about it being pretentious, but boring? It's 60 seconds long! Jesus, talk about a short attention span.

Watch three hours of commercials, then tell me you can't be bored by anything less than a minute long. I suppose TiVo would be wasted on you, huh? As long as it's under that magical 60-second limit, you're entertained. Interesting.
posted by hjo3 at 9:29 PM on March 7, 2006


I, too, would find it difficult to use the word "boring" when describing an event that lasts only 60 seconds long. The thing's over almost before it starts.

Sure, if I had to watch 180 of these back-to-back, I might find myself getting bored. But as that wasn't the case here...
posted by darkstar at 4:09 AM on March 9, 2006


And imagine my chagrin when I realized that RufusW was NOT Rufus Wainwright.

(No offense, RufusW!)
posted by darkstar at 4:10 AM on March 9, 2006


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