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The Pendant (2020)

Film, 22 min.

Breaking of a mirror initiates five different acts in five different places; exposing shades of magic, politics and systemic violence.

The harm social systems are designed to inflict, the enforced disappearances in Turkey during the 1990s, the border politics of the EU, manipulative storytelling and power struggles are evoked as the round Pendant attempts to become whole again with its gemstones scattered throughout the acts.

The Pendant in its entirety is a video installation, consisting of the film, the round pendant, the glass hammer and the original The Pendant Tarot Deck. The installation was first shown at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie graduation show in 2020, later in Galerie Ron Mandos the same year.

The project received the GRA Awards for Autonomous Arts 2020, selected by the jury Charl Landvreugd & Femke Herregraven.

"The level of sophistication in Mayis Rukel’s film installation is impressive. The overall quality of this bachelor student’s work would befit a master’s level. The jury feels it is a sign of professionalism that Mayis has surrounded himself with the right people (set designers, actors) to produce his film. The balance of his aesthetic dreamlike scenes with political messages, regarding EU border politics for instance, comes across with a certain absurdity that the jury appreciated. The wall opposite the screen shows his own tarot deck, which is inclusive, non-binary and non-hierarchical. It is part of the film, but it is also a new world that can lead to exciting new projects that the jury looks forward to."

Images below are by Michèle Margot & Franzi Mueller-Schmidt.

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The Pendant (2020)

Written & Directed by Mayıs Rukel

Cinematographer Mostafa Heravi

Gaffer Ray van der Bas

Casper Brink

Ward Trommelen


Frans Dam

Charlotte Ha

Pınar Karaaslan

Amélie Onzon

Alexey Shkolnik

Ilija Surla

Chachi Telfer

Paul van den Berg


Sound Tumelo Maesela

Sound Design Mayıs Rukel

Soundmix Supervisor Rick Haring


Production Assistant

Patrick Walinga

Lucie Gérard

Vanille Ougen

Ariane Boot

Set Design

Silvia Martes

Mayıs Rukel


Production Design, Costume, Casting, Editor

Mayıs Rukel


Color Design

Mayıs Rukel

Ray van der Bas


Make Up Artist

Lucie Gérard


3D Design & Animation

Teun Grondman

Hand-drawn Animation

Mayıs Rukel

Graphic Design

Yuri Sato

Original Music

Patrick Walinga

Accessories

Rebecca van Wierst

Vanille Ougen

Transportation

Milan Transport


Made possible with the contribution of:

Tungsten Studio, M.C. de Visser Fonds, Fonds Kwadraat, Tülin, Osman & Ceren Kaygı, Rebecca van Wierst, Ger de Jong, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, VAV-Moving Image 2020

'SELECTED 2020 - Video Portraits'; concept & production by Vere van Hal and Bieneke Bennekers, the interviews conducted by Luuk Heezen and the videos filmed and edited by Rik Lauwen. Special thanks to the jury members GRA Awards 2020 for Autonomous Arts; Femke Herregraven and Charl Landvreugd.

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