Lost in a vast desert, a disillusioned young artist grapples with the fading mirage of their confident past self as they battle isolation, creative frustration, and the relentless pull of ambition.
Embedded Files
Mirage - Artist Statement.mp4“Mirage” is a deeply personal exploration of the creative journey that reflects on the universal struggle artists face: the tension between ambition and self-doubt. Through ia's journey in the desert, we capture the relentless search for meaning and validation—set against the vast landscape of nature. The desert, with its emptiness and isolation, is a powerful metaphor for the internal space where creation happens, a place of both beauty and desolation.
In ia's encounters with their former, more confident self, we see the allure of past successes and the idealized versions of ourselves that we chase, yet never quite reach. These mirages reflect not just the illusions of external recognition, but the way our past achievements can sometimes haunt us, making us question our worth in the present. The film’s visual symbols, like the wind sweeping away Ben’s discarded and final sketches, represent the transient nature of creative success, but also the liberating realization that the act of creating itself is what holds true value.
As a director, ia's struggles mirror my own experience during my first film, where I grappled with discovering the kind of story I wanted to tell. The final moment, when ia's sketch drifts away, encapsulates the essence of the film—an acceptance that creation is an ever-evolving process. I also faced this realization while scaling down my overambitious script. Mirage serves as a reflection on the artist’s journey, emphasizing the importance of letting go of the need for external validation and embracing the beauty in the creative process itself.
Credits:
Directed by: Riley Linch
Featuring: ia Feraren
Director of Photography: Jair Mejia
Camera Operator: Jair Mejia
Assistant Camera: Julia Harley
Lead Producer: Riley Linch
Associate Producer: Zander Bezotte
Assistant Director: Zander Bezotte
Screenplay by: Riley Linch
Storyboard Artist: Scout Starks
Script Supervisor: Nathalia Guillen
Wardrobe: ia Feraren
Editor: Riley Linch
Title Design: Scout Starks
Colorist: Robert Von Draminski
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