Markus Öhrn
| Concept, camera and editing: | Markus Öhrn |
| Presenting the film: | Persona (1966), by Ingmar Bergman |
| VJ: | HD |
| Production: | Markus Öhrn and Swedish Subterranean Movie Company |
| With the support of: | Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Swedish Arts Grant Committee, Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam and Volksbühne am Rosa Luxemburgplatz (Berlín) |
| First performed at: | Kunstenfestivaldesarts de Bruselas (May 2014) |
| Bergman in Uganda is presented in Madrid in collaboration with La Casa Encendida. | |
“Öhrn is one of the most representative artists of the modern-day theatre scene where different genres blend into hybrids”.Brigitte Salino, Le Monde
A new artistic figure has emerged in recent years in Uganda: the Vee-Jays. These creators-narrators work in improvised cinema halls in underprivileged neighbourhoods and remote villages. Their work consists of simultaneously translating films -usually the latest Hollywood blockbuster- for the entertainment of local audiences. But this master of ceremonies doesn't just fulfil the roles of presenter and translator who explains the plot, the dialogues, the customs and Western mores of behaviour, but also provides their own impressions, thus becoming a sort of sports commentator, preacher and comedian with the creative license to impart a new twist to the films. This phenomenon is unique to Kampala and its surroundings and has become the main source of entertainment for those who cannot afford film tickets. And some VJs are so popular that they are heralded as local celebrities.
The prize-winning Swedish artist Markus Öhrn had the idea of exhibiting the films of his compatriot, Ingmar Bergman, in one of these improvised plywood cinemas, with one of the most well-known VJs of Kampala. Öhrn doesn't strictly belong to the stage arts, his background is more in video art. Thanks to his connections with different experimental theatre groups such as the Finnish troupe Nya Rampen in Berlin, he developed an interest in shows on the margins of video installations, dramatics and performance, until he eventually began collaborating with avant-garde artists such as Jan Fabre in one of his solos. Óhrn's goal was to capture this peculiar film adventure within its specific Ugandan context, and translate the presentation into English.
The result is Bergman in Uganda, an art installation where the audience is seated between two screens. While Persona (1966) –the film that made the biggest impression on Öhrn as an adolescent– is screened on one side, one the other we see the local narrator proffer his explanations about this renowned film by the emblematic Swedish director. How are Bergman's films viewed in a Kampala shantytown today? How is the complex introspection of the film's characters perceived and translated in another context? And the so-called Western lifestyle? Not without irony, Öhrn lets the European viewer see how an African viewer sees them. An experience that invites us to reflect on our own perspectives.