“Since it is universally believed that man is merely what his consciousness knows of itself, he regards himself as harmless and so adds stupidity to iniquity. He does not deny that terrible things have happened and still go on happening, but it is always ‘the others’ who do them. Even if, juristically speaking, we were not accessories to the crime, we are always, thanks to our human nature, potential criminals. None of us stands outside of humanity’s collective shadow. Whether the crime occurred many generations back or happens today, it remains the symptom of a disposition that is always and everywhere present and one would therefore do well to possess some ‘imagination for evil,’ for only the fool can permanently disregard the conditions of his own nature. In fact, negligence is the best means of making him an instrument of evil.” – C.G.Jung FOOL’S GOLD is a feature length experimental documentary based upon stories about progress and greed told through extrapolated universal myths and surviving residents from a once wealthy Californian desert community whose fate rested upon its center: a mining town that turned into a mineral corporation. Standing in the present, you are poised between the future and the past…so starts FOOLS GOLD, a story about an American landscape, where the dream of searching for a good life includes the discovery of sustainable income, the development of space and land use, the growth of community and the dream of a better tomorrow. We are drawn into a bizarre mixture of landscapes that include; a mining town, its adjoining attraction of unique prehistoric rock formations used by Hollywood for sci-fi sets, a 20 mile dry lake bed and the mineral wealth of borax incorporated, along with, a collection of unusual residents including felons, crack dealers, the elderly, strays and welfare families from an imposed co-habitation experiment resulting from a mass layoff and exodus. Consequently this combustible mix implodes. Its edit will weave together different genres revealing actions, desires, and mindsets similar to those who gravitated to California during the 1849 Gold Rush. Historic fact will be entwined with the story of Cain’s intention towards his brother Abel, and the horror acted out in zombie movies that parallel consumption. Superimposed image and sound will demonstrate how we construct and deconstruct our world; inciting deep connections to our human essence; stimulating the viewer to actively think about what is being presented, while asking: “Can we escape being products of our environment?” FOOL’S GOLD concerns social issues and explores relationships of power and repression, as it ponders moral dilemmas – How do we construct and deconstruct our world? FOOL’S GOLD illustrates a particular desert landscape on Earth, along with its human inhabitants. FOOL’S GOLD presents a meditation on the world we live in and the ramifications of inaction and stagnation. Dream-like visuals, and altered soundtracks will build into a painterly form that fluidly fans out, creating a nebulous space and time of shifting perspectives that suggest psychological dimensions and the unconscious mind. FOOL’S GOLD is inspired by stories like CAIN and ABEL, Von Stroheim’s GREED, and Frank Norris’ novel McTEAGUE, along with up to date real life situations of the everyday people in Searles Valley California. CAIN and ABEL’s theme of envy and greed parallels the American dream of “the good life” and is philosophically tied it these previous works. This story will be demonstrated through dance. In Cain’s view, success equals money, and failure is measured by poverty. As the quest for money is humankind’s primary motivator, this film asks: “Just what is wealth? and How much is enough?” Abel was a shepherd and lived in solitude contemplating spiritual things. Cain was a farmer. Historically, agricultural peoples were the first to beget slavery. Cain’s offering to God was from the expendable crop, while Abel chose the finest of his flock. God did not look with favor on Cain’s offering. Cain argues with Abel: “Lets divide the world. One gets the land and the other the movables” Cain kills Abel. His act destroys his own ability to farm the land. Forced to wander, he later developed civilization. FOOL’S GOLD will raise serious questions pertinent to all generations about our actions of yesterday, our involvement of today and our place in tomorrow. Its impact reaches nationally and globally, as land use changes due to economic and population growth, and the exporting of business and resources dwindle or are compromised. |
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