The Perfection of Chance
‘The Perfection of Chance’, a poetry film that depicts a mental health patient describing to his therapist one of his experiences.
The poem, that forms the basis of the video, was composed using the surrealist technique of automatism. This stream of conscious poem is supported by the films composition, which strives to present a surrealist painting that has come to life to creatively represents the patient’s state of mind. The combination of surrealist language and imagery invites the viewer to step into the patient’s version of reality.
The aim is to use this unique medium to raise awareness of mental health.
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Mark NiehusDirector
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Mark NiehusWriter
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Mark NiehusProducer
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Mark NiehusKey Cast
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Mark NiehusMusic
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Project Type:Animation, Experimental
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Runtime:1 minute 30 seconds
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Completion Date:February 1, 2020
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Country of Origin:Australia
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Country of Filming:Australia
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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BackboneAdelaide
Australia
April 9, 2021
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.
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.