2011, Video installation and Single channel video:
For me, Verklempt (49.32)
For my father, Farklempt (29m43s)
If Not Higher (8m30s).
Verklempt (10 min version)
Verklempt is a video series that documents the exchange and re-enactment of moments where my father and I get verklempt. The term “verklempt” is an anglicized version of the Yiddish word “farklempt” that describes the act of being overcome or choked up with emotion. Over a year-long period, my father and I individually documented and tracked every time we got verklempt through detailed written notes that stated the time, date, emotional trigger, and place. We then traveled to each other’s homes— my father’s in Winnipeg, and mine in Montreal— exchanged notes, and ultimately exchanged touching moments, through reenacting and reliving each other’s experiences on camera.
Special thanks to editor Lucius Dechausay.
Verklempt is made with support from the Ontario Arts Council.