Ana Mendieta
Weather Balloon, Feathered Balloon, 1974Super-8mm film transferred to high-definition digital media, color, silent1' 36''
Ed. 8 + 3 AP
Two cameras captured simultaneous footage of a large and round white balloon that is floating against a bright blue sky and a lush forested backdrop. After a few short seconds, the balloon bursts in the air and white turkey feathers within float to the ground.The first clip captures a narrowly focused view of the balloon framed only by the blue sky, and then follows the feathers down to the ground after it bursts. After the last feather settles to the ground, the film ends. The footage that follows captures a broader view of the balloon and its bursting, then zooms on the feathers, now scattered along the brown grasses, and then zooms out as the handheld shot brings us closer in for the duration of the reel. According to Breder, Dan De Prenger, who was also a student in the Intermedia class, shot the balloon with a shotgun.
