Two Writers

2023, HD video with no sound, (14:49)

Synopsis
The entire film consists of segments of eight clips of writer writing, some of which show a single writer writing, while others depict two writers writing together. There is no dialogue, eye contact, or breaks.

More on My Mind
What interests me is observing two writers, similar in age to myself as an artist, engaged in the act of writing. They are not jotting down diary entries, taking notes, or doodling. They are writing for readers. From the moment you see the film title “Two Writers” until the final frame fades to black, where I tell you "Josie Tolin and Kira Homsher were writing their first novels in the summer of 2023, Nebraska City, Nebraska," there is not a single frame that shows you what is being written. Not much is happening physically; only the movement of fingers and arms. Yet, it is precisely because of this easily overlooked aspect that what they are doing—different from jotting down diary entries, taking notes, or doodling—so much is happening in their minds and in their vision. What fascinates me is the effortless guise they wear while writing, so seemingly mundane, yet the craft itself is a labyrinth of challenges, a threshold to transcend. When I cannot see the content of their writing, I must convince myself that I am witnessing something just and profound unfolding—that event being the act of writing. When my intention to document the process of the writers writing aligns with their intention to write novels, this moment becomes innocent and convincing.

Credits
Director/Camera/Edit: Tianjiao Wang
Writers: Josie Tolin, Kira Homsher 
Location: KHN Art Residency, Nebraska City, Nebraska

Screenings
2024    Open Screening, Millennium Film Workshop, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2024    Screening Night, MFA Thesis Show, Logan 201, Chicago, IL, USA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GvS4oeeCJU