The Blue Period, Vol 1

Influenced by the tonal subtleties and emotional gravitas of Picasso's eponymous period, "The Blue Period" is a cinematic tapestry of 10 vignettes that journey through the complexities of mental health and the human soul. Each "motion portrait" is a both a solitary chapter and a thread in a larger narrative fabric. Elevated by a vibrantly striking color palette and a captivating musical score, the film crafts an emotionally resonant and sensorially rich exploration of our inner worlds.

  • Robin Arenson
    Director
  • Robin Arenson
    Writer
  • Robin Arenson
    Producer
  • Kailena Mai
    Producer
  • Sarah Winters
    Director of Photography
  • Robin Arenson
    Music
  • Emmanuel Ventura-Cruess
    Music
  • Celina Bernstein
    Key Cast
  • Anna Derusso
    Key Cast
  • Maye Garner Harris
    Key Cast
  • Peter Larney
    Key Cast
  • Tate McMillan
    Key Cast
  • Kaitlin Sanders
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Noir
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    July 29, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Los Angeles Private Premiere
    Los Angeles
    United States
    July 29, 2023
    Premiere
Director Biography - Robin Arenson

Robin Arenson is a Berlin-based filmmaker and composer with a rich artistic lineage that stretches from Littleton, Colorado, where he grew up in the haunting shadow of the Columbine High School shooting, to the halls of New York University, where he trained with aspirations of composing for musical theater. With a directorial approach deeply influenced by the stage and the musical score, and drawing inspiration from a diverse array of artists, from Beethoven to David Lynch, he melds visual and auditory elements in a singular narrative style.

Arenson's work often traverses the emotional landscapes of trauma, grief, and resilience, serving as both a mirror and a window into the complexities of the human psyche. His latest endeavor, "The Blue Period," intensifies this focus, marrying theatrical immersion with a captivating musical score. Now calling Berlin home—a city of historical darkness and contemporary vibrancy that holds particular resonance for him as a Jewish person—Arenson perpetuates his quest to grapple with human tragedy through the transformative lens of art.

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Director Statement

Over a century after Picasso grappled with the suicide of a close friend, I found myself navigating a similar terrain of collective grief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Struggling with anxiety, creative stagnation, and unprocessed trauma, I was reignited by an unexpected muse: Picasso's "Portrait of Sebastià Junyer Vidal," hanging at the LACMA near my former L.A. residence. This seminal work spurred me to seek out and immerse myself in other pieces from Picasso's Blue Period, each one a testament to the transformative power of art over anguish and a mirror to my own complex emotional state.

Driven by a desire for catharsis and the hope of creating something emotionally resonant, I set out to craft my own "Blue Period." Collaborating with actors deeply connected to their emotional selves, I shaped characters that echo both their inner experiences and the subjects hauntingly depicted in Picasso's masterpieces. The outcome is a filmic song cycle—ten "motion portraits" that can be experienced either sequentially or as an immersive art installation. Each vignette borrows its visual and emotional palette from the collective inspiration I drew from Picasso's Blue Period, offering a resonant portrayal of depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief.

My aspiration with this ongoing series, the first volume of which is presented here as a unified 10-chapter short film, is to create something relatable, poignant, and ultimately beautiful from the ashes of stagnation. It is my hope that viewers will find their own emotional experiences reflected in this tapestry of human struggle and resilience.