regret
rɪˈɡrɛt/
verb
To feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that one has done or failed to do).
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This photofilm project came about through conversations with older people, when I realised that regret was something that became more significant with age. The word appeared more readily in the dialogue as something quite profound, a deep personal emotion that grew quietly, sadly, as time passed and reflection on one’s life grew.
The dialogue carries the listener/viewer from one strand of dialogue to the next, like eavesdropping on thoughts. The aim was to build up knowledge, a portrait of the subject through snapshots of sound and detailed close-up visuals while retaining the subject’s anonymity, suggesting that experiences of regret are both personal and universal.
Here, Regret ‘G’ and Regret ‘C‘ are viewed separately. In exhibition, the subjects are physicalised by playing the films simultaneously via TVs placed on stands on opposite sides of the room, thus spatialising the viewer’s experience as they move from one portrayal of Regret to the other. This is a project I would like to return to at some point to build up a series of portraits on the same theme.