In Corpus A Quest for Eternity, a gathering of contemporary, internationally known artists take us on a journey into the world of medical art to reflect upon death and the beauty of the mortal body. “We use art – and the fragile human body as a metaphor – to ask existential questions, and investigate the subject of mortality through a poetic visual language,” write the filmmakers.
Jelle Janssens and Sofie Hanegreefs commenced their CONNEXT pitch with a series of questions. “When was the last time that you talked about your own mortality? When was the last time that you were confronted with death – and how did it make you feel? Did you start questioning the meaning of your existence? Did you wonder about how this fragile human body can experience life? Or did you delve even deeper and ponder about the nature of your very soul?” they asked.
If audiences answer in the positive then this is very much the project for them, the pair therefore underline. “This film is going to help you reflect upon these questions. It’s set up as a journey, and you, the viewer, are the one to [take] it. During this journey, you’ll meet different guides who will help you on the way. Each of these mentors is a renowned artist with a unique and special vision on the human body and the inevitably of its decline.”
Contributors include Body Worlds creator Dr Gunther von Hagens, whose contemplation of death and mortality is rendered even more poignant after his diagnosis of Parkinson’s. Also featured is Dr Babette van Rafelghem who “makes beautiful drawings of organ structures, and she’ll help you overcome this initial fear and let you see how beautiful this world we all carry inside can be,” says director Janssens. Elsewhere in the film we will meet Spanish painter Dino Valls, whose “surreal paintings kind of work like an exorcism where you can come face to face with the most primal fear, the fear of death, and overcome it or exorcise it,” Janssens stresses.
“We want to create a visual film that makes the audience contemplate the human condition and the meaning of existence,” the co-directors underline. “The film reveals the inside of the body as a place full of mystery and wonder. We want to spark the audience’s imagination, bring people together and inspire conversation about universal philosophical questions. We believe the film can be shown in an artistic, scientific and/or philosophical context.”
Also featured in the documentary will be the ‘Death Café’ events, spaces for reflection on such mortal matters, and organised both in the US and UK. “Here people are talking about questions which are essential and universal, because one day or another we will all die. It’s not seen as something negative. It’s seen as something that also can be seen as a liberation, as beauty, because the artists are there to share this with us,” says Hanegreefs.
Producer Sophie Schoukens of Sophimages underlined that she was looking to raise a further 30% on the budget to make a film which is aimed a target audience of 16+. In Antwerp she was seeking distribution partners, sales agents and streamers. “Death is the most universal topic in life. And we’re all gonna go there. So it’s fascinating to go very deep into the subject… but not in a negative way,” she told BDE.
