Et In Arcadia Ego

Told through personal journal entries, two individuals explore their relationship with the loss of a parent.

  • Grace Campbell
    Director
  • Grace Campbell
    Writer
  • Heidi Harmes Gentry
    Writer
  • Grace Campbell
    Producer
  • Grace Campbell
    Director of Photography
  • Mya Hawreliak
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Guess Chen
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Lauren Davis
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Student
  • Genres:
    Avant-garde
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 2, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    400 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    France, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Color 16mm, B&W 16mm
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Emerson College, Paris College of Art
Director Biography - Grace Campbell

Grace Campbell is a Cinematographer and Filmmaker from Colorado, USA. In 2024, she graduated with a Global BFA in Film Art from the joint program at Emerson College and the Paris College of Art. In her pursuit of a career in film and television, Grace has worked on numerous projects spanning various genres and formats. She has a keen eye for details and is an eager collaborator.

In her personal works, Grace prioritizes truth and naturalism with a strong interest in celluloid filmmaking. Her BFA thesis film, Et in Arcadia Ego, was shot entirely on unexposed end rolls of 16mm film donated by other filmmakers. By shooting on the soon-to-be-discarded she observes a connection between celluloid film, impermanence, and memory.

Grace's 2023 documentary, The Art of Artificial Intelligence, was featured as a part of the Ghost in the Machine expo at the Dialoogmuseum De Crypte in Gennep, Netherlands.

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Director Statement

Et in Arcadia Ego is an avant-garde documentary short showcasing meditations on loss and transience. The film explores the paralleled journey of two individuals experiencing the loss of a parent. This is expressed by journal entries kept by my mother when her father died and journal entries I have kept since my mother has died. This film was entirely shot on unexposed short ends of 16mm film donated by numerous filmmakers; the leftovers and the soon-to-be discarded. An important practice of mine was to capture these small moments before they are gone entirely. I filmed in places in which I saw reflections of my mother; places in which I could envision myself, my mother, and my grandfather sitting together. The creation of the film itself allowed for the recognition of my own impermanence.