2023-2024 Fellow Azadeh Ahmadi is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker whose documentary and fiction films explore relations between the individual and the social context represented in memory and absence. In her films, human gestures and movements are substantial visual and psychological elements, revealing neglected and suppressed individual and collective narratives.
Ahmadi’s work has screened at festivals and venues including Buenos Aires International Film Festival, Blow-Up Arthouse Film Fest, Lulea International Film Festival, Boden International Film Festival, 2220 Arts and Archives, and Murmurs Gallery among others. She holds an MFA in film directing from CalArts and a BFA in theater from the University of Tehran.
Reading the Waves—Ahmadi’s interdisciplinary practice-based research project—conjoins theory and cinematic form to investigate the inner qualities of everyday human movements and gestures in private and public domains. Through this work she explores the interrelations between the body and the sociocultural structures placed upon, and how these interrelations create affect in art practice.
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Echoes of Motion: In Metal
Azadeh Ahmadi and Movement Lab
"Echoes of Motion: A Sonic Exploration" is a sonic documentary project delving into the intricacies of movement and everyday actions through sound. This experimental endeavor was presented at The Studio for Research in Sound and Technology (SRST) at RISD, leveraging the studio's state-of-the-art sound system featuring an array of 25 independently-addressable, full-range speakers arranged in a hemisphere configuration, complemented by four subwoofers.
Through this project, I aim to prompt listeners to reevaluate their interactions with space and the sonic environments they inhabit. By immersing the audience in a multi-dimensional auditory experience, "Echoes of Motion: A Sonic Exploration" invites contemplation on the significance of mundane activities and their impact on the sonic landscapes we co-create.
As participants engage with the sonic narrative, they are encouraged to explore how their movements, both intentional and unintentional, shape the auditory atmosphere around them. The piece serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness between our actions, the spaces we occupy, and the soundscape we collectively produce.
Through its innovative use of technology and immersive sound design, "Echoes of Motion: A Sonic Exploration" offers a unique perspective on the relationship between movement, space, and sound, inviting listeners to reconsider the sonic dimensions of their everyday lives.
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Echoes of Motion: Opening Closing
Azadeh Ahmadi and Movement Lab
"Echoes of Motion: A Sonic Exploration" is a sonic documentary project delving into the intricacies of movement and everyday actions through sound. This experimental endeavor was presented at The Studio for Research in Sound and Technology (SRST) at RISD, leveraging the studio's state-of-the-art sound system featuring an array of 25 independently-addressable, full-range speakers arranged in a hemisphere configuration, complemented by four subwoofers.
Through this project, I aim to prompt listeners to reevaluate their interactions with space and the sonic environments they inhabit. By immersing the audience in a multi-dimensional auditory experience, "Echoes of Motion: A Sonic Exploration" invites contemplation on the significance of mundane activities and their impact on the sonic landscapes we co-create.
As participants engage with the sonic narrative, they are encouraged to explore how their movements, both intentional and unintentional, shape the auditory atmosphere around them. The piece serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness between our actions, the spaces we occupy, and the soundscape we collectively produce.
Through its innovative use of technology and immersive sound design, "Echoes of Motion: A Sonic Exploration" offers a unique perspective on the relationship between movement, space, and sound, inviting listeners to reconsider the sonic dimensions of their everyday lives.
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From the Body to the Screen | Wintersession 2024 Syllabus
Azadeh Ahmadi and Movement Lab
In this course, students make a brief cinematic piece inspired by movement exercises. Each session starts with a 45-minute movement exercise, guiding students to reflect on the nuances of emotions, memories, and ideas evoked during the activity. Taking notes at the exercise's conclusion, students transform these reflections into source material for their final projects. The course features technical demonstrations covering camera work, editing, and sound. The primary emphasis is on movement's pivotal role, serving as the anchor connecting these skills and molding creative concepts. The curriculum encompasses crucial elements, including: Visual composition, color, and camera movements, highlighting their significance in conveying specific messages; Practical applications, including learning the fundamentals of editing in Premiere, with a conceptual focus on movement as the unifying element in cinematic structure; Basics of recording and editing sound.
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Rehearsing a Breath | Trailer
Azadeh Ahmadi and Movement Lab
Set against a backdrop that transcends time and space, this film ventures into a reflective exploration of storytelling itself, probing the ever-shifting nature of truth within personal narratives. It scrutinizes how the retelling of an event by different voices inherently reshapes its nuances, transforming perception and experience across various landscapes.
The narrative is catalyzed by a woman's escape from an abusive foster father. Although initially compelled to share her tale, her reluctance to dredge up such memories shifts the narrative’s trajectory. Rather than tracing a linear plot, the film captures the reverberations of her story as it echoes through the communities that recount it, highlighting the profound and enduring impact of such personal histories.
Employing an innovative blend of performance art, the film invites performers to collaboratively embody the profound personal experiences depicted. This synthesis of personal testimony with the evocative power of performance art creates a unique cinematic landscape that challenges traditional narrative boundaries.
Navigating the delicate balance between honoring deeply personal truths and engaging a broader audience, the film transcends mere storytelling. It becomes a conduit for a shared exploration of identity and transformation, inviting viewers to engage in a dialogue that encourages contemplation on how personal narratives transform into a mosaic of varied, abstract elements, reflecting our collective human experience.