Diminishing: The Void (Research File)

Diminishing: The Void (Research File) is an experimental film by Martin Lombok that explores the effects of diminishing on perception and creativity. Diminishing is a randomly discovered relaxation technique that consists of standing still for a few minutes in the middle of another ordinary activity. The film consists of a single static shot of a kitchen counter, where a man places a bottle and then stands motionless. The camera looks down into the empty and dark bottle, creating a sense of confusion and discomfort in the viewers. What is the meaning of this action? What is hidden inside or behind the bottle? What is the purpose of this research file? The film challenges the viewers to question what they see and what they don’t see, and what it means.

  • Martin Lombok
    Director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Aftagning: Intetheden (Forskningsfil)
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Minimalist, Psychological
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 12, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Denmark
  • Country of Filming:
    Czech Republic
  • Language:
    No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K 30fps
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Martin Lombok

Martin Lombok is an experimental filmmaker born in 1969 in the Czech Republic. He lives alternately in the Czech Republic and Denmark. He is fascinated by the possibilities and limitations of technologies and film language, and he uses them to challenge the conventional ways of storytelling and perception. His films are minimalist and realistic, often consisting of a single static shot of a mundane scene, accompanied by contact sound and ambient noises. His films create a sense of confusion and discomfort in the viewers, as they are confronted with a reality that is both familiar and alien. He wants to question what we see and what we don’t see, and what it means. He is influenced by the works of Andy Warhol, Michael Snow, and Chantal Akerman.

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Director Statement

My film Aftagning: Intetheden (Research File) is the result of a serendipitous discovery that happened during the filming process. I was working with a performer who had to place a bottle on a kitchen counter and then stand still for a few minutes. We were experimenting with different angles and compositions, and we decided to use a camera that looked down into the bottle. As we were filming, we noticed something strange and fascinating. The performer reported feeling a sudden calmness and clarity, as if his mind was emptied of all thoughts and worries. He said he felt more creative and aware of his surroundings. He called this feeling “diminishing”, and he said it was like a relaxation technique that he had never experienced before.

I was intrigued by this phenomenon, and I decided to make it the main focus of my film. I wanted to explore the effects of diminishing on perception and creativity, both for the performer and for the viewers. I wanted to create a film that would make the viewers feel confused and uncomfortable, as they are confronted with a reality that is both familiar and alien. I wanted to show them something that exists, but that they would never see without me. I wanted to question what we see and what we don’t see, and what it means. I wanted to make a film that is not a message, but a medium, a film that is not a representation, but a presentation of reality.