‘Two meetings and a funeral’. Artist; Naeen Moheiemen. Film review at Liverpool Biennial 2018 art feslival.

Interesting take on political history and the death of colonialism.

By Alex Taggart

Article Forward

I have been a volunteer steward and arts mediator for the Biennial Arts festival off and on since 2012.  You are mainly there to help open up, look after the gallery space, and close up.

While I there acted as steward for the film shows setup in St George’s Hall, Liverpool UK 2018.

Review

A three channel film documentary in the ex-court rooms at the magnificent civil building of ‘St Georges Hall’ is now showing. Covers the period after ‘World War II’ where many European and western countries lost control of their colonies abroad.  Instead taking the view of a westerner, the film takes the side of countries broken away from European powers. This is a refreshing change on talking about the subject.

There are many documentaries on the cold war and empire of the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  A lot of films in English speaking countries are taken from The West point of view.  A lot of the material is recycled.  Writers do go on of how wonderful like ‘The British Empire’ was.  Talking about, ‘We take tea and crumpets on the lawn, by Jove’. The real truth is never simple. All this has been recycled again on ‘Briexit’ The UK’s campaign to leave the ‘European Union’. As if the British could get their empire back. If the film anything to say is the ex-empire countries would show objection to this.

In the film visits some of these ex-empire countries, at the end of the 1950s to the present day.  They tried to form their own version of the ‘United Nations’ council.  Two of these groups where the ‘Non-Aligned Movement’ (NAM) and the ‘Organization of Islamic Cooperation’ (OIC). It can be taken as a platform for the counties represent their interests to ‘The West’.  Most of these groups don’t exist anymore.  Like in a lot of politics instead of countries coming together, they come a part. The countries end with their own agenda.

There were a number of law abiding politicians.  Those whom wanted to serve and do good deeds.  On the other side you have a ‘rogue’s gallery’ of controversial figures, like ‘Gaddafi’, ‘Yosser Arafat’ and ‘Castro’. The film talks about this past and any impacted may have on the future.

This does seem to reflect the issues now happening with the European Union and Brexit.  Countries can come together after a conflict like WW2 for common good, to be taken a part by their own agendas. The generations get older and the new generation takes over.  People start to forget why we came together in the first place.

Some of the positives of the installation location are also its negatives.  As the hall is one of Liverpool’s architectural gems’s you get a lot of ‘through traffic’ from visiting tourists.  Visitors get the chance to discover something didn’t know was there.  However the court room in ‘St Georges Hall’ is part of a ‘walk through’ tour route.  Got people walking past the video screens with no interest in the film you are trying to watch.  There is plenty of high level public seating in the court room to make it a good cinema.  The unscheduled film screenings makes for people just walking in any time they like. This could impact on a person’s enjoyment of the piece that prefers order on sitting down to watching a film.

The film viewing set-up as it stands doesn’t help.  A set schedule of the film showings (like at a cinema) is something ‘Two Meetings and a Funeral’ could benefit from.  For an art gallery it is very long.  The piece is nearly an hour and a half in length.  This has got to be one of the longest art films this writer has ever seen in any art exhibition.  The norm of art gallery film as been something you can watch for a few minutes and walk off.  Some videos reward you for watching longer, but you don’t need to. ‘Two meetings and a funeral’ is a full length feature film. The piece does need your full attention to appreciate it.  If you don’t, you’re not giving the film a fair viewing it deserves.

The length of ‘Naeen Moheiemens’ films is something he’s known for.  Not stops him from getting rewarded for his efforts.  He has recently had the film feature in this years ‘Turner prize’. Also at the ‘Turner prize review’ his film ‘Tripoli Cancelled’ about an abandoned airport is shown. He includes in films archives and interviews.

Overall despite its installation issues the film is worth watching.  If you got an interest in political history you will really enjoy the piece.  Even if the subject is not something you’re not interested in its still engaging.  The film doesn’t try to blind you with too much information and straight forward to follow. As it’s a full length 85 minutes feature it does require you to give the same attention level as given to watching a movie at your local Odeon.

If you have never seen a three channel film it makes for novel viewing.  The set-up is three screens link together and can play three different videos at the same time. The link-up between the videos is timed so they play as one whole.  The screens are laid out in an arc in front of you. Gives the viewer a more panoramic view then you may be seen in single screen films. You get a more sense of scale of the filmed locations featured.

Give your time to watch the film.  It will reward you back for your efforts.

‘Two meetings and a funeral’ was part of the Liverpool Biennial 2018. The festival of contemporary art is in a number of venues and galleries around the city.  The festival runs every two years.  A full list of events and venues are available on their website at biennial.com.