 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Silabario
|
 |
|
A syllabary (silabario) is a set of written symbols representing the syllables of a language. But is there such a thing as a language of birds? How can such an elaborate set of sounds – whether vocalised by birds or dedicated human bird-whistlers – not be a language? Or is it, rather, a pure form of sound poetry? In 14 minutes, Marine de Contes’ Silabario gently investigates the enigma. Filmed (like Corneliu Porumboiu’s endearing fiction thriller on the same topic, The Whistlers [2019]) on La Gomera island, Silabario drifts serenely through a physical space made uncertain by mist. It interweaves the poetry of Miguel Ángel Feria into imaginary dialogues floating on air between birds and people. Apart from her work in film, video and installation, de Contes is a gifted editor who has collaborated on features by Jonás Trueba, Lucile Hadžihalilović and Javier Rebello. © Adrian Martin October 2021 |
