Sensational motorway chases, camping in the dark woods or ending up in prison: anything is possible at Michel Gondry’s Home Movie Factory. Last night, the French director opened his interactive installation which enables amateurs to shoot a short film in record time.
The six empty shop spaces along the Meent, that house art institution Roodkapje ROTTTERDAM, have been in use as a film factory since yesterday morning . As a film factory. Filmmaker Michel Gondry has built sixteen sets there which amateurs can use to shoot their own film at the Home Movie Factory. Participants have a wide selection of options: there is a car with backdrop projections, a woodland with trees that can be moved around, a bedroom, a kitchen with appliances and food, a living room and a bar that can be converted into a corner shop in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, they can choose between day or night and a rural or urban environment.
Gondry views the Home Movie Factory as “a way of getting people out of their homes to make friends. To be proud of something you’ve created together. And, above all: to have fun. I want to prove that everyone is creative”. This is why Gondry won’t give any of the participants any direction nor will he become involved substantively with any film. Yesterday, he did however watch the first results. “Actually, I watch the participants’ faces more than the films themselves. It’s cool to see how people respond when they see the result of their cooperation even when they laugh about the mistakes they made.”
Pre-registration is unfortunately no longer possible due to the massive interest in the factory, but Gondry saves five spots per workshop for last-minute participants. After the festival, the Home Movie Factory will be open to all between 8 February and 4 March. Participation is free and takes three hours. Would you rather watch things alone? You can: visitors can view all the completed productions at the video library.
Home Movie Factory – Roodkapje ROTTTERDAM
27 January - 5 February (Monday-Sunday: 11:00-18:30)
8 February - 4 March (Wednesday-Friday: 11:00-18:30, Saturday & Sunday: 12:30-17:00 and closed on Monday and Tuesday)