Word Count – screening of Kasia Fudakowski’s film project

In the near future, scientists confirm a direct correlation between the dramatically rising sea levels and the amount of words that we speak. Delegates from every nation of the world gather together to find a quick solution and resolve that each citizen of the world shall be rationed to 433 words per day. This comes to be known as Cage Law after John Cage’s 4”33’.

Word Count is a fragmentary film project consisting of ever-accumulating shorts, which investigate the following scenario from an ever-increasing number of perspectives.

This drip, drip disaster-in-slow-motion horrific farce, follows the lives of four main characters trying to keep their heads above water, where every word counts. Bridget, a stand up comedian, Jennifer, a lawyer specialising in Cage Law, her husband David, an out of work radio DJ and Professor Sanchez, a radical intellectual who rejects and rebels against the philosophy behind Cage Law. 

The project’s concept is centered around the idea of working within limits and the production model for creating each short also follows this rule. Therefore, a wide array of different styles and approaches to telling small elements of the bigger story have been employed. 

Practical information:

About the artist:

KASIA FUDAKOWSKI (b. 1985, London) – She graduated from the University of Oxford (Ruskin School of Art) in 2006. She lives and works in Berlin. Her artistic practice is diverse and unabashedly playful, encompassing sculpture, film, performance and the written word. Kasia Fudakowski analyses complex social issues through interdisciplinary activities; she also draws on surrealist logic and makes use of comic book theory. Addressing the charm and danger of explicit categorisation and the resulting absurdity that thrives in our political and social environment, Fudakowski’s work reveals the discrepancies between cultural norms. Her work is stretched between horror and comedy. The artist also often becomes the target of her own attacks – she examines her role and the accompanying stereotypes with seriousness and disregard. Fudakowski’s infatuation with failure and her search for new definitions of success has resulted in a series of tragicomic shows and texts.

photo: Alicja Kielan