How belief shapes our understanding of the universe
Written and Directed by: Murat Sayginer
Swift shot: I am not an art critic, so I apologize to the creator, Murat Sayginer if this review doesn’t completely capture the stupendous brilliance of his short film.
I am typically drawn to story, but with The Flying Fish there is no real story. It’s a kind of story told through symbology and leaves much open to the viewer. And it would appear that the end result is a combination of several other short films available on Sayginer’s site, interwoven through one message about the human condition. Namely, what it means to be human.
Oddly enough, this was a very similar theme in Gyrus. Maybe all movies are in their own way an interpretation of the human condition, but that might be a bit trite.
The Flying Fish is about the creation of man and how our creator made the universe for us to enjoy. But as we grow more knowledgeable and seek to understand the mysteries of the universe, we are transformed and sent out of Eden. And as we are transformed, our connection to pure energy, or the source, decays.
There’s a lot of speculative interpretation throughout the viewing experience. And I say that it is indeed an experience. It’s captivating and beautiful to watch, to absorb the aesthetic digital wonder that Sayginer presents.
The thing with art is, it is incredibly subjective. Much like comedy, actually. I have said before that with comedy, you either like it or you don’t, that you laugh at a joke, or you don’t. That’s the way art is as well. Not everyone will “get it.” But, what is unique about art is how the interpretation can reveal something about the creator and the viewer.
So, here’s my interpretation of the visual, digital art. But, again, you may see something completely different than I did.
The story, as it unfolds appears to be a kind of evolutionary journey starting with creation and the garden of Eden and ends up in a virtual Myth of Er.
If you aren’t familiar with that Myth, it goes back to Plato. The belief was that we create our own lives on the other side; we pick our avatars and our personalities, our families and even the choices we will make.
But, there are actually several stories being told in The Flying Fish, it’s a bit non-linear due to its structure, but that doesn’t really detract from the overall concept of form. The message is still there, and in fact, it is present in each iteration, each chapter of the film as a whole.
I enjoyed it quite a bit, for the stark contrasts throughout, as themes of good and evil, the balance of nature, the path to enlightenment and even a nod to the digital, intelligent design concept of creation which essentially breaks the universe down to a binary code.
In my real job I work with data and the analysis of data, and I have become more inclined to the belief that we are just ones and zeroes, just strands of code. Not unlike the Matrix or even Sim-City, we are created by some grand coder that beautifully orchestrates our life . . . and yes, our deaths.
And while The Flying Fish does dance with enlightenment, still missing from every theory I have ever given a thought to with my mind’s eye is the why. Why were created? Perhaps watching Sayginer’s film will inspire other thoughts in you.
Make sure you give this one a watch if you were ever a fan of MTV’s Liquid Television back in the day or have speculated on the nature of creation for more than a few minutes. This is a thinking man’s movie. I recommend it to anyone who wants to think.
