Experiencing Interruptions?

Lorelei

I created a new poetry film that interprets my original poem, Lorelei, adding to the long tradition of Artist’s responding to the German version of the siren myth. By merging live action and animation my poem now resides within an underwater character that is practicing the oral tradition of storytelling that becomes folklore, in this case the story of Lorelei. Placing this ancient process of storytelling in today’s online platform you the observer become part of the passing on of this myth. Composing the soundtrack for this film allowed me to use audio to accent words or stanzas to express or place an emphasis on the meaning of the language. Listen with the volume up or headphones on to enjoy the submersive experience.

  • Mark Niehus
    Director
  • Mark Niehus
    Writer
  • Mark Niehus
    Producer
  • Navian Iseut
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Submerge - Praxis Artspace
    Adelaide
    Australia
    June 18, 2020
    World Premiere
Director Biography - Mark Niehus

Poet and Artist Mark Niehus combines his poetry with digital art, video and music to create outcomes that capture and expand the mood, rhythms and meaning of his writing. Always seeking to discover new ways to apply his experimental ethos to engage audiences and push the boundaries of his art, Mark’s work illuminates and transforms urban environments and internal spaces into captivating visual canvases and poetic soundscapes.
After spending years abroad, travelling, studying creative writing and working as a new media designer in London, Mark returned to Australia to publish his first book of poems in 2008 and to focus his artistic practice to create high quality artworks integrated with his writing. Over the last 10 years Mark has conceived and delivered an array of poetry films, projection art, street art, illustrations, installations and composed spontaneous poems for the public on his typewriter for Local Government, Arts organisations, festivals and numerous solo exhibitions.

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Director Statement

I write quickly and instinctively, allowing an interplay between my subconscious and conscious mind until the narrative appears. Writing for me is a very visual experience resulting in vivid imagery which easily translates to film giving the poem another life beyond the page and provides another layer for me to guide the audience’s interpretation of the text. Composing music for my films ties these two elements together, creating a mood that reflects the world in which the poem lives. My work often explores the human experience and the friction between ideals and the status quo. I have an intimate relationship with my art, I measure myself against it and I strive to narrow the space between me and it.