DESCRIPTION

Waterscape: illusions was filmed over an eight-year period in all seasons and weather. Shot in both color and black-and-white, it includes shots of the water as a wilderness environment, as a painting of reflected abstract shapes and colors, and as the setting for the swans’ activities. No humans appear on screen.

The watercolor illustrations created for the filmmaker’s tale, like the story itself, reject the conventions of traditional tales and take inspiration from several directions: Japanese prints for a waterfall, eighteenth-century costume for a palace party, and twenty-first century cuisine for a feast.

The film has a soundtrack comprising voiceover, environmental sounds, and music, all added in post-production. Nature is tranquil in this film and sounds are subtle and spare. In this setting, a single man-made sound – a footstep or the hissing of a lawn sprinkler – has significant presence. An original score of muted trumpet, cello, percussion, and clarinet suggests, at different times, a nature documentary, an otherworldly setting, and the swan’s song.