On Days of Clear, Perfect Light

Genreexperimental documentary

year2024

length41:52 min

screening formatDCP, UHD

soundDolby SR

languageEnglish

I was inspired to shoot On Days of Clear, Perfect Light after returning from my first visit to São Tomé & Príncipe. My idea was to somehow capture the transformation of an exhilarating actual experience into an inner landscape consisting mainly of memories. I was not after a specific image or a precisely formulated idea. Initially, I was stunned by the natural beauty of the place. However, over time, more complex relationships developed, inevitably altering and adding to the intensity of my first experience.
Formally, the film combines observational and staged sequences, with text fragments appearing at long, irregular intervals. Despite their narrative appeal, the words do not strive for linear narration. They mirror (and sometimes contradict) the reflections and observations offered by the images without being attached to a specific persona. The passages across the island, along the sea, pausing only for the occasional encounter with people, are as explicit as they are universal.

After we depart, life on the island will go on as usual.

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Credits

Directed & ProducedIsabell Heimerdinger

Cinematography & EditingIvan Marković
EditorAndreas Menn

CastAusenda Machado Bonifacio de Sousa
José Manuel Spencer

Camera & Production Assistant
Hana Heimerdinger

Location ManagerGuile Agnaldo Viegas

Coordination São Tomé
Tiziano Pisoni

Still PhotographyHana Heimerdinger
TextStephan Pascher

Color Grading & CompostingIvan Marković

Sound Design Florian Beck
Andreas Menn