The Circuit

Sundance programmer John Cooper said their theme with this year's New Frontier section is telling stories.  And among the immersive projects filling a cavernous basement across from the Egyptian were Omer Fest's "The Casting."

In the piece, a soldier fresh from Iraq is interviewed on two subjects: an deadly altercation on an Iraqi freeway and a romantic liason with a German woman who's into self multilation.  Intertwining each narrative seemlessly, it's hard to pick up where story begins and the other ends. 

Omer shot the piece on video, yet staged it as if taking still portraits.  The subjects remain still, yet slight moving, blinking, breathing.  The effect is a remarkably thrilling narrative told on four screens with only two visible at a time.