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Debut, or, Objects of the Field of Debris as Currently Catalogued

Julian Castronovo
USA
78'

A young filmmaker named Julian stumbles on a hidden book tied to a vanished art forger and the perfect mystery for his next film pitch. But, as coincidences mount and paranoia sets in, he begins to question what’s real, who’s watching him, and whether he’s directing the story or being directed by it.

Making use of minimal material resources and auto-fictional means (with an emphasis on the fictional aspect), Julian Castronovo constructs in DEBUT, OR, OBJECTS OF THE FIELD OF DEBRIS AS CURRENTLY CATALOGUED a complex and multi-layered narrative, in terms of a story, but, above all, in terms of themes and politics. The chance discovery of a video artist’s work by a young director, and the then discovery of his own diaries/digital detritus by an AI, triggers a reflection on the reproduction and reproducibility of art, on its temporality, formality, and aesthetics over the last 50 years, as much as on the economic dynamics that sustain – or undermine – it in the age of neoliberalism. Part a cheeky graduation film, part a detective thriller, and part a post-modern gesture deeply influenced by Walter Benjamin’s theories, DEBUT is a matryoshka that opens up the narrative possibilities of the desktop essay. (Flavia Dima)

Thursday, September 25, 18:00

Cinema Elvire Popesco

Tickets

Julian Castronovo

Julian Castronovo is an American filmmaker and writer. His films, which often explore authenticity, identity, and fetish, have been screened by festivals and institutions like The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. His writing has appeared in publications such as BOMB and The Los Angeles Review of Books. In 2024 he was named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine. He holds BAs from Brown University’s programs in Literary Arts and Modern Culture & Media, and an MFA in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts.

  • Technical sheet
  • WRITER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR: Julian Castronovo
  • NARRATORS: Philippa James, Rebecca Benoit
  • CAST: Julian Castronovo, Song Hui
  • ORIGINAL MUSIC: Jules Becker
  • SOUND MIX: Aidan Reynolds
  • ADVISORS: bigail Severance Arne De Boever Ernest Marrero, Gary Mairs ,Juan Pablo González, Michael Robinson, Stephen Chiodo

International Feature Film Competition

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Debut, or, Objects of the Field of Debris as Currently Catalogued

Julian Castronovo | Duration 78'

A young filmmaker named Julian stumbles on a hidden book tied to a vanished art forger and the perfect mystery for his next film pitch. But, as coincidences mount and paranoia sets in, he begins to question what’s real, who’s watching him, and whether he’s directing the story or being directed by it.

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