MON CHÉRI

MON CHÉRI is a film series about two spies who follow, observe, love and chase each other across the world. Eventually, they turn against their patrons and join forces to expose and sabotage the global game of power and artificially engineered wars.

To escape the ensuing manhunt of the mighty players, their own disguise within the context of modern surveillance societies becomes a central theme.

The film series is an artistic inquiry into trust, distrust, and the development of counter-techniques against omnipresent surveillance systems.

The filmmaking approach is experimental in that it does not follow a traditional narrative structure, where images are linked through a straightforward, logically progressive plot. Instead, the synthesis of cinematic material aims to actively involve the viewer in the process of reception - inviting them to assemble the film’s unity from its parts and provide the audience space to think further.

The sequence of events and their montage are meant to emerge individually - through associative links that connect rational and emotional interpretations of life, allowing them to form an independent whole.

What makes MON CHÉRI unique is the time span of its creation. The footage was filmed over a period of more than seven years. With the subtitle HOW TO MAKE A SPY FILM, the films - as well as their long process of becoming - are presented within a spatial installation.

Filmmaking and the viewing habits of modern television audiences are dissected, offering insight into the experimental nature of this spy film and the artistic props it contains: notes, specialized literature on film aesthetics, SD cards accumulated over years, textile works used as camouflage for a car, Raku-fired ceramic masks, and paintings used as cinematic backdrops.