(1977; 16mm film, sound; 82 minutes; Laura Lehrer, dir.; unreleased)
Jess turns and walks back toward the camera, stopping behind the chair. She places her hands on its back. A shield between her body and Laura’s questions.
- Has something like what happened at Zero Zone ever happened before? That kind of extreme reaction to your work?
Jess looks down at her hands. Her knuckles are pale from gripping the chair. She opens them slowly, prying each joint.
The camera’s focus breathes a little, blurred and then clear. Laura speaks again.
- There are essays and reviews, accounts of engagement with your work. Life-changing experiences. They’re always positive, at least those that I’ve read.
Jess nods, still watching her hands, curiously, as if they belong to someone else.
- But another possibility is always there, isn’t it? A different kind of experience?