Rain

Magdalena Barthofer´s short film Rain shows rain falling, it presents the sound of rain falling, and nothing else. Rain at night. White dots are surrounded by black, they fall, away from the camera, away from me, and later white dots gradually turn into long lines as they fly towards me. The drops hit something, are met with resistance, which makes a sound. It´s not so much a patter as a chattering, and the rain also produces background noise. Rain is a representational film, and the subject of its representation is fleeting.
Rain belongs to the tradition of modern film. Light is projected onto the screen. Rain crackles like the soundtrack. The old avant-garde thing, the medium focusing on itself.
However, some other things can be done with film: It can be used to provide a kind of comfort. You can get out of the rain and watch Rain. Like looking out a window. The film shows nature from which everything mystical has been removed. At the same time, it can matter of factly claim to be beautiful. In this film, everything that´s free is beautiful. Its unpredictability is beautiful: The things we see and hear are random. Rain follows an aleatory principle. Another beautiful thing about it is the idea of leaving everything to chance, to be determined spontaneously. You switch the camera on, originally with a certain plan in mind, and what happens next is no longer in your power. Like rolling dice. One die falls, how will it land? Rain falls, what kind of ideas will come up in the form of white dots and lines? Where and when? The film is a fireworks show for doubters. Bernhard Seiter