The Role of a Lifetime

2003 16 min.

 

Director Deimantas Narkevičius

 

Narkevicius’s film combines three distinct elements: an interview with Peter Watkins, recorded in Lithuania; a sequence of landscape drawings, some depicting an unusual theme park, Gruto Park, repository of statues from the Soviet era; and scenes of Brighton shot over an extended period by an amateur film enthusiast. The Role of a Lifetime raises questions about the ethical and social responsibilities of the artist and about the relationship between cinematic representation and historical record.