The Spaces Between
The pandemic radically transformed life in Amsterdam's Red Light District. One of the world's busiest tourist destinations became deserted overnight. The Spaces Between explores how the pandemic changed residents' experience of their neighbourhood, and expanded their vision of what it could be.
I collaborated with Composer and Producer Sebastiaan Smink and 3D Visual artist Axel Schoterman to create this immersive film project during Amsterdam’s second lockdown.
We wanted to capture the physical transformation of De Wallen district in a way that reflected the often contradictory experiences of isolation, anxiety and freedom that emerged during the pandemic. Using 3D scans we could create a historical record of the physical space (a technique that would have been almost impossible during the heavy footfall of pre-pandemic life) which could be digitally manipulated to reflect the uncertainty, and potentially transformational experience, of life in lockdown.
The 3D visuals create a fractured landscape in which new spaces are revealed and everyday scenes are disrupted and distorted. This visual language is reflected in the sound design, which introduces interviews as broken soundbites and overheard conversations. The interviews reveal a sense of loss as people adjust to life without the buzz of visitors, relief at the ease with which they can now live and joy at the signs of nature returning to the centre of the city.
Through the combination of experimental visuals and residents’ testimony, The Spaces Between considers how the spaces created by the pandemic (both physically and in our lived experience) have changed our perceptions of how we should live.
The film was initially intended to be displayed within a red light district window, which is why we used a 9:16 aspect ratio. Due to unforeseen problems with the venue we had to change plans. The film was eventually displayed close to De Wallen, in the Felix Meritis exhibition space. It was also selected to be shown on ShortsTV and at Fiber Festival.
Director: Rowena Wyles
Producer & Sound Design: Sebastiaan Smink
3D Artist: Axel Schoterman