Transcript (Erica Sheu, 2019) (Patreon)

I had the good fortune to first come across Erica Sheu's Transcript back in March when I was previewing films for the SF Crossroads Festival, where it stood out from the pack quite powerfully. But it's a quiet power, to be sure. There may not be a more delicate, unassuming film in the Wavelengths series this year, but Transcript is striking nonetheless. It is essentially a still life, although part of what makes the film unique is its tendency to vibrate under the energy of an unseen wind. Sheu gives us close-ups of baby's breath, its branches and buds gently bobbing within the frame of reference against a blue background. The images are a careful study of light and shadow.

But then, at the end of the film, we see that the blue paper that was serving as a backdrop is actually photosensitive. Sheu's manipulation of the lights has actually been creating a physical transcript of the film she has been making, a series of Rayographs documenting the production process like blueprints. So in a way, Sheu's film is not merely painterly by description. It is actually producing effects halfway between painting and photography, a quite literal drawing with light. What a delightful film.