Private Project

Islands of Vertigo

Les iles du vertige (Islands of Vertigo) is a short film featuring a striking and colourful array of characters and scenes that were shot over the course of a month-long residency in Georgian Bay, Ontario. From the creases of this rich textured landscape, comes a visceral and dynamic discourse on gender and sexuality. Charged with both the beauty, and the darkness surrounding LGBTQ+ history, this work leans into both subtlety and absurdity in its effort to explore the multiplicity and subjectivity of Queer identities through embodied expression.

  • Mark Durand
    co-director
  • Eva Myers
    co-director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Les îles du vertige
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    1,200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Super8 and digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Eng:

Mark Durand is a Canadian and neo-Gaspesian queer artist fascinated by the complexity of life and all art forms. Creating films encompasses many of his passions, including his need for adventure, his love and respect for nature, his connection with music and his eternal quest for freedom. He is deeply inspired by the ocean and the richness of the Gaspe coast. For him, the result of a project isn't solely its outcome. His artistic approach has to always be open and absorbing, leaving space for the present moment in order to be surprised by the process. For Mark Durand, making art is a radical statement that depicts poetically the world that we live in. Creating is a perpetual search that helps him understand others and himself better. He thinks that art is the most invaluable portal that there is to preserve the magic of the world in time.

FR:

Mark Durand est un artiste queer canadien et néo-gaspésien fasciné par la vie et toutes les formes d'art. Le cinéma englobe plusieurs de ses passions, notamment son besoin d'aventure, son amour et son respect pour la nature, son lien avec la musique et sa quête éternelle de liberté. Il s'inspire de l'océan et de la richesse de la côte gaspésienne. Pour lui, le résultat d'un projet n'est pas seulement son aboutissement. Sa démarche artistique reste toujours ouverte et absorbante, dans le moment présent afin de se laisser surprendre par le processus créatif. Pour Mark Durand, faire de l'art est une affirmation radicale qui dépeint poétiquement le monde dans lequel nous vivons. Créer est une recherche perpétuelle qui l'aide à mieux comprendre les autres et lui-même. Il croit que l'art est le portail le plus précieux qui soit pour préserver la magie du monde dans le temps.

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