Who is Calling ?
10 days of contemplation and repentance.
10 days of judgement.
The video is inspired by Leonard Cohen’s song „Who by Fire“, which gives his interpretation of the Hebrew prayer „Unetaneh Tokef“ recited on New Year’s Day (Rosh HaShanah) and Yom Kippur.
Rosh HaShanah, according to Jewish belief, is the beginning and thus the anniversary of the creation of the world and at the same time the day of God’s judgment, which opens a „heavenly book of chronicles“ in which the fate of each person is inscribed according to his deeds.
The video uses the period of 10 days from New Year’s Day (Rosh HaShanah) to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which exists according to the Jewish faith, as an analogy and thematic background. Day 2 to Day 9 show exemplary scenes of man’s actions towards nature and the environment as well as towards his fellow human beings and society:
Day 1: Rosh Hashana
Day 2: Man to the land
Day 3: Man to the water
Day 4: Man to the air
Day 5: Man to the animal
Day 6 – 9: Man to man
Day 10: Jom Kippur, day of final judgement
„On Rosh Hashanah (New Year’s Day ) it will be written and sealed on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), how many will pass over and how many will be born, who will live and who will die, who in his time and who before his time, who by water and who by fire …“
Mashup video by Jürgen Baums, found footage video.art, length: 25:17 minutes
Germany, Krefeld, November 2022
Scenes from 112 Youtube videos and 24 stock videos were used for the project.
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Jürgen BaumsDirector
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Jürgen BaumsProducer
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Project Type:Experimental, Short
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Runtime:25 minutes 17 seconds
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Completion Date:November 1, 2022
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Production Budget:0 USD
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Country of Origin:Germany
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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:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Brussels Capital Film FestivalBrussel
Belgium
April 23, 2023
Best First Time Director, Short -
Best Shorts CompetitionVilla La Jolla Drive
United States
March 20, 2023
Villa La Jolla Drive -
Berlin Kiez Film FestivalBerlin
Germany
April 20, 2023
Stock video
Design studies at the Fachhochschule Niederrhein, Krefeld 1970 to 1974. Graduated as Dipl. Designer.
Since 1978 self-employed as communications consultant and web designer with own agency and as freelancer.
Videomaker (Mashup) since 2021.
Why "Who is Calling ?"
What man does to his peers, to his environment, to his home planet has preoccupied me for many decades and is the driving force behind my political and social commitment. I have known, sung and played songs by Leonard Cohen on guitar since my youth.
His song "Who by Fire" with the refrain "Who shall I say is calling?" refers for me to a fundamental question that occupies many people - also of different faiths: Is the (respective) God also responsible for murders, wars, misfortunes, exploitation .... responsible? Why does he apparently do nothing against it?
As a non-religious person, I am fascinated by one thing: What many religions consider to be God's laws and judgement does find a counterpart in the laws of nature in the broadest sense - i.e. also in the laws to which, for example, the human psyche is subject. We are now living in an age where it is becoming increasingly clear that nature and its laws are "punishing" us - we are destroying our own livelihoods not only through exploitation, displacement and war but through the overexploitation of our planet. Thus, the image of an end of the world or a deluge, which occurs in many religions, gradually appears on the horizon.