Not Seen on TV

The video that I chose to discuss is titled “Francis Alys and Rafael Ortega, Re-Enactment.”  It is based on a true story that occurred in Mexico in the year 2000. Two videos are being displayed side by side, one is real filmed footage, and the second is a re-enactment of the original footage. The man being followed in the video purchases a handgun from a gun store and walks out of the store with it openly; he does not try to conceal the gun. He was given many strange looks as he walked through the streets. The police eventually arrest him. I feel that this film is attempting to show the lack of awareness people have can be harmful. Especially in today’s society, we do not pay attention to our surroundings, so we often do not know when danger is about to occur. The video shows the man roaming about, carrying a gun in open view for a while before anybody realizes that it is a gun. This is an example of how video art can be utilized to express important messages and not get lost in the development of a show or film. The video also appears to show how easy it is to miss something that can be dangerous. The angle of the video places you near the man by having the recorder next to him to help you seem as if you were really there. Video Art can be just as captivating as other art forms, and this film proved it.