Day Night Day Night: The Enemy Within
Day Night Day Night is Julia Loktev’s first fictional film after beginning her career making documentaries. However, the film very much retains a documentary atmosphere and the subject matter couldn’t be more controversial, particularly considering the city in which it is set. A 19-year-old girl is preparing to become a suicide bomber in New York’s Times Square. We do not know her motivation and who she represents, only that she is fully committed to carrying out this deed.
At the very beginning of the film we are brought instantly to New York and the day of reckoning. The nameless young woman is travelling by subway to the centre of the city and a date with destiny. We know nothing of her background, not even her name. She speaks (rarely) with no particular accent and it’s hard to pinpoint her ethnicity. She could be mixed-race. She is whispering to herself almost as if in a trance. The message seems to be meant for some divine authority and serves as a declaration of commitment. From this poignant moment we are taken back to the days immediately preceding her mission.
An unnamed terrorist group has recruited the girl as a volunteer. We don’t see them as they have their faces covered, so are anonymous even to the girl, suspecting perhaps that she may be working undercover. From here begins some diligent preparation for her mission. In the post-9/11 world, most New Yorkers are reassured their city is practically the safest in the world, even if that means much paranoia and the inevitable infringement of civil liberties. The truth is that ‘sleepers’ such as these could still get through the security and create mayhem that would have a catastrophic effect and throw the world into panic again concerning the safety of civilians. The film tends to stand back from any judgement of what is taking place, depicting the precariousness of everything instead.
The director was born in St. Petersburg but grew up in New York, graduating from the University there. No stranger to facing the harrowing side of life head-on, Loktev’s award-winning film follows a documentary made some years earlier called Moment of Impact which dealt with the aftermath of her father’s debilitating car accident. Her other work has included audio and video installations. After winning Director’s Fortnight in Cannes in 2006, the film has only been seen at a handful of festivals and distributed in Belgium and France with a limited release in the US. This is a pity and is another example of a film that does so well at a high profile festival only to become elusive afterwards.
Lead actress Luisa Williams was working as a nanny when she auditioned for the film after seeing a flyer for open casting calls on the boardwalk in Coney Island. On the set, she was referred to as ‘Sunshine’, something that contrasts greatly to the ultimate intentions of her character.
Day Night Day Night is Julia Loktev’s first fictional film after beginning her career making documentaries. However, the film very much retains a documentary atmosphere and the subject matter couldn’t be more controversial, particularly considering the city in which it is set. A 19-year-old girl is preparing to become a suicide bomber in New York’s Times Square. We do not know her motivation and who she represents, only that she is fully committed to carrying out this deed.
At the very beginning of the film we are brought instantly to New York and the day of reckoning. The nameless young woman is travelling by subway to the centre of the city and a date with destiny. We know nothing of her background, not even her name. She speaks (rarely) with no particular accent and it’s hard to pinpoint her ethnicity. She could be mixed-race. She is whispering to herself almost as if in a trance. The message seems to be meant for some divine authority and serves as a declaration of commitment. From this poignant moment we are taken back to the days immediately preceding her mission.
An unnamed terrorist group has recruited the girl as a volunteer. We don’t see them as they have their faces covered, so are anonymous even to the girl, suspecting perhaps that she may be working undercover. From here begins some diligent preparation for her mission. In the post-9/11 world, most New Yorkers are reassured their city is practically the safest in the world, even if that means much paranoia and the inevitable infringement of civil liberties. The truth is that ‘sleepers’ such as these could still get through the security and create mayhem that would have a catastrophic effect and throw the world into panic again concerning the safety of civilians. The film tends to stand back from any judgement of what is taking place, depicting the precariousness of everything instead.
The director was born in St. Petersburg but grew up in New York, graduating from the University there. No stranger to facing the harrowing side of life head-on, Loktev’s award-winning film follows a documentary made some years earlier called Moment of Impact which dealt with the aftermath of her father’s debilitating car accident. Her other work has included audio and video installations. After winning Director’s Fortnight in Cannes in 2006, the film has only been seen at a handful of festivals and distributed in Belgium and France with a limited release in the US. This is a pity and is another example of a film that does so well at a high profile festival only to become elusive afterwards.
Lead actress Luisa Williams was working as a nanny when she auditioned for the film after seeing a flyer for open casting calls on the boardwalk in Coney Island. On the set, she was referred to as ‘Sunshine’, something that contrasts greatly to the ultimate intentions of her character.
Labels: Day Night Day Night
posted by Steven Yates at 5:41 PM
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