A few years ago, I had the pleasure of witnessing Daniel Barrow’s projector performance “Every time I see your picture I cry” in PLAY, a live cinema festival that took place in La Casa Encendida. I was captivated by his intricate illustrations, haunting words and fragile animations. I just dived into his website and this video of “Le Voleur des Miroirs / The Thief of Mirrors”, which is accompanied by a wonderful text. Below is an excerpt:
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Hace unos años, tuve el placer de atestiguar el espectáculo proyectado “Every time I see your picture I cry” (Cada vez que veo tu foto, lloro) de Daniel Barrow en PLAY, un festival de cine en directo que hospedaba La Casa Encendida. Fui cautivado por sus detalladas ilustraciones, palabras punzantes y frágiles animaciones. Acabo de empaparme de su sitio web y este vídeo de Le Voleur des Miroirs / The Thief of Mirrors al que acompaña un maravilloso texto. Debajo un extracto (en inglés).
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“This narrative is, in part, an homage to a popular cultural reference/television character – the “Kissing Bandit”. The Kissing Bandit frequently appeared as a character in sitcoms and romantic comedies of the 1960s and 1970s. (I remember this character appearing on The Love Boat and The Flintstones). He is a cat burglar who creeps through the windows of boudoirs, plucks jewelry off of his sleeping victims, and kisses them in their sleep. He leaves behind a long-stemmed red rose on the pillow as a signature and memento of his crime - leaving victims feeling simultaneously violated and charmed.
I am drawn to this largely forgotten archetype because I am generally drawn to characters that embody the sexual mores from the era of my childhood. More significantly, I am interested in expressing an entirely serious and political outrage using the voices of characters who have previously existed only under the auspices of parody, thereby walking the razor edge of irony while simultaneously challenging systems of class hierarchy and control in our culture.”