Rimas Sakalauskas

Syncronisation DVD, 8', 2009 Lithuania

Tell me something about you and artistic background.
I am a video artist, based in Vilnius, Lithuania. My artistic background is relatively poor. Only after graduation in Vilnius Academy of Arts I started to participate and promote my video works. In my childhood i had a try creating art in wider range of mediums. It consist music creation, singing, playing drums and percussion, theater, live drawing, sculpturing. However, later I compressed my activity to a narrow field - computer graphics, video and sometimes digital photography.

Tell me about this film, initial idea and work process.
Synchronisation initially was a video without any idea. In the begging I just felt, that I want to make some thing with big static objects, probably buildings. So I started to visit industrial areas and make photos of things, which attracted me. Thus I collect kind of a library of abandoned factories, various towers, chimneys, antennas, electricity installation and other devices. While doing this I intuitively get an idea to rotate those towers or lift objects in to the air. To make obvious falsification. Therefore I imply that this behavior may have an interesting, not common effect. And so later it was just a question of time: simply improvising with various items and finding best combinations, which latter become kinds of globe, water tower and antenna. With a help of the lecturers I realize that fragmenting movement of those actions weaken video and therefore I have chosen to use static camera - as most objective way to observe. People in my video act like a moving detail, similar to bird flocks, grass swinging or clouds.

Are you working on new projects at the moment?
Recently I have started new film with roughly the same idea. So I often have doubts about sense of continuing this work. As a result I am suspecting that this may end to "Synchronisation II" :)

Do you have specific influences in your film/video making?
I think all of the Hollywood production had major influence on me. Especially films like Aliens, Star wars, Terminator II and others shaped me hugely during my teenage years. However, latter, while studying in Vilnius Academy of Art, I was introduced to Russian and Italian futurism, Dutch de stilj , Tarkovsky and Kubrick films. Those are great influences for me as well.

Why is it important for you to show your film/video in a festival?
Most of my films were not published widely or accepted by society in the past. After graduation I understood that it was a big mistake, because no further artistic activities are offered for me recently. I badly need to promote my creation, otherwise I will be in the same position as I was after the graduation of secondary school. It is like a part of my survival condition.

What role do you think Oslo Screen Festival should have to promote your work?
It will be the premiere of my film in Norway during Oslo Screen Festival, due to a fact that I have very positive stereotype about this country, I am keen in receiving response from Nordic viewers regardless to any future of my video promotion.