This short experimental film draws us into the social lives of green tree ants living in Cairns Australia. The split screens aim to draw our attention to the ants’ yearning as they ferry the body of a dead spider across the asphalt. The video was made in response to a piece of music for violin and snare drum called ‘Triptych for Two’. This piece was originally written as an abstract study in rhythm and musical time.
This section of the piece pits a continuous drone against a slow winding melody in close harmony to develop long arcs of tension and release across the movement. This video is suggestive of a more-than-human way of looking and listening that could possible turn our ears to the ground.
