Andres Serrano Debuts His First Film ‘Insurrection’
What the artist believes to be “one of the most violent and controversial films ever made.”
Controversy has become a penchant of Andres Serrano‘s work over the course of his career. From creating a glowing red image of a crucifix allegedly submerged in Serrano’s own urine to challenging the benevolence of the Catholic church. His first-ever film, Insurrection, is no different.
Releasing today at CulturalDC’s Source Theatre, Serrano takes the harrowing events that transpired at the U.S. Capitol a year ago and weaves a number of historical and fictionalized footage, including D.W. Griffith’s divisive 1915 film, The Birth of a Nation.
Based on Thomas Dixon Jr.’s The Clansman, Birth introduced a number of cinematic achievements, such as the use of montage and being the first 12-reel film. Although it was celebrated by Southerners who romanticized back to Confederate values, Birth was lambasted by many, such as the NAACP, for its glaring depictions of race and glorification of the Ku Klux Klan.
Serrano states that his 75-minute montage does not judge or side with any one party, but rather seeks to “present it as I see it,” said the artist in an interview. “In the case of Insurrection, I wanted to make it an immersive experience, I wanted to take you, the viewer, to the event, and everything before or after that happened. I wanted you to be there,” he added.
Public screenings of Insurrection will run from January 7 through January 15.
Also in the news, Aleksandar Todorovic draws on religious iconography to comment on contemporary issues.
