ED2015 4/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

Blind Cinema (Britt Hatzius)

By Rebecca Jacobson | Published on Friday 28 August 2015

As you take your seat, schoolchildren – aged 8 to 11 – file in behind you. You’re handed a blindfold, then a cone to hold to your ear. For the next 40 minutes a film plays, but you see none of it. Instead, a child whispers to you about eggshells, feathers, a glass house. You hear her breathe. You hear her hesitate. You wonder what the others are saying, if they’re funnier or more interesting than your child. You feel bad for having wondered this (don’t worry: they shuffle about, so you’ll hear three different children). It’s an experiment in sensory deprivation, and in power dynamics. Sure, the stakes aren’t terribly high – they’re not leading you blindfolded across a motorway – but it still flips the equation in subtle, fascinating ways.

Forest Fringe, offsite at the Filmhouse (88 Lothian Road), until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Rebecca Jacobson]