I Declare a Thumb War
2019.
Cinematography: Christiaan van Leeuwen + Andreas Drosdz
Production Design: Marcus van Binsbergen
Score: Nicolas Jaar
Produced, Directed & Edited by Ewan Macbeth
I Declare a Thumb War is a re-enactment of a found photograph from the beginning of the so-called ‘war on terror’ era, of a soldier playing a friendly ‘thumb war’ game with a child.
The film re-stages this absurd state-sanctioned image, a false utopian ideal and propaganda fantasy; imagining it as a veterans memory.
Originally due to premiere at European Media Art Festival 2020; cancelled due to Covid- 19.
Supported by Creative Scotland & Piet Zwart Institute.
Divided Together
2018.
Writers: Ewan Macbeth / Tom Roberts
Cinematography: Zhibin Quin
Editing: Lotte de Jong
Sound Design: Salvador Miranda
Produced & Directed by Ewan Macbeth
“Political theatre is about showing the disconect between what is said, and what is done.” - Harold Pinter
Divided Together portrays the leader of an ideologically ambiguous government as he has an awkward and leering interaction with a make-up artist, followed by his televised address to a newly-invaded country.
The work illuminates the spectacle of the media and political arena to consider the absurdity and artificiality of contemporary politics. Politicians as actors; the obscene as mise en scène.
Divided Together was supported by and premiered at the EYE Film Institute in Amsterdam.
Mass Production
HD Video, 4-Channels, 15 minutes, 2016.
Cinematography: Jack McCombe
Sound Design : Ewan Alston
Directed & Edited by Ewan Macbeth
Mass Production is a video installation that shows the printing cycle of the Financial Times from four unbroken long take shots. The factory is a small part of the News Corp empire, owned by mass media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
The same machine is also used to produce other right wing publications such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Sun amongst others. Over the course of the 15-minute video installation we witness the making of 60,000 newspapers.
Hierarchies
Mixed Media Installation, 2016 - 2019
Hierarchies is an installation project about how capitalism uses propaganda, data accumulation and violence to operate beyond legal or geographical framework.
Photographs that both subvert and embrace advertising aesthetics are shown alongside Stock Market data works, and video installations.
Hierarchies was selected for the RSA New Contemporaries and nominated for the Jill Todd Photographic Award.
Market Data
Inkjet prints, Construction Paper, Acrylic Box Frames, 2016 - 2018
Market Data is an archive of economic data and current events. Stock Market data is contextualised with images from the same day’s socio-political incidents. Companies, commodities and currencies share space with these events, placed on top of the digital information.
The project considers the economy of photography; turning mass produced images into unique artworks.