Riyaz Master Project is a 45 minutes non-narrative road movie filmed in India. Inspired by the cultural, economic and spiritual context that I discovered on my voyage (2005- 2006), it approaches an abstract and futuristic vision of the complex matrix called Indian nation.

I directed this experimental film in 2006 under a different alias, Umabeecroft, in collaboration with the electronic composer Sigmoon and the Japanese cyberpunk writer Kenji Siratori, as part of my professional practice at Future Ethnic Comparative Research label. This video was a departure from my previous performance based pieces, a mere formal stylistic exercise in the tradition of abstract experimental film.

My former explorations around the old industrial landscapes and the filthy fertile environments led me to imagine the possibilities of the development of a future India. Our search for the elusive electronic tabla machine, the Riyaz Master, brought us on a journey through the breathtaking landscapes from Auroville to Kolkata, Varanasi to Bhopal. Some of the sequences include  a member of Aghora (an extremely secretive sect of Hinduism) filmed along the Ganga, being the only human appearance in this film; the rests of Durga idols (the supreme goddess, embodiment of femenine and creative energy ) inmersed in the water along the Hooghly river in Kolkata and the Matrimandir, the spiritual centre of the international community in Auroville.

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RIYAZ MASTER PROJECT [Trailer] from residua on Vimeo.

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FUTURE ETHNIC COMPARATIVE RESEARCH video art & electronic music lab planned to produce a 45 m DVD with the images shot by Umabeecroft and the original electronic music composed by SIGMOON with some low tech indian electronic musical machines & cinematic sounds + the spoken words by Kenji Siratori (Japanese cyberpunk writer)

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Screenings

11/12/09: MADATAC ,The Madrid Festival of Contemporary Audio-Visual Arts at the Instituto Cervantes, Madrid (SPAIN)
Oct 09: Auroville, (INDIA)
27/02/09: Cec Festival, INDIA
04/02/09 – 13/02/08 All Art Now International Video Festival, Damascus (SY) :
04/02/09 French Cultural Center
07/02/09 British Council
08/02/09 All Art Now House & Gallery Dar Kalemat – Aleppo
09/02/09 The Netherlands Institute
10/02/09 The Syrian International University
26/11/08: Art Tech Media, Córdoba (ES)
24/11/08: Neu Epoch Vision 08. Feria de Arte Independiente, Madrid (ES)
15/11/08: International Experimental Film Festival Carbunari, Florean Museum (RO)
06/11/08: OPTICA, International Video Festival, Gijón (ES)
31/10/08 – 05/11/08: Magatzems Wall & Video, Valencia (ES)
23/10/08: Streaming Festival (NL)
26/09/08: Broadcast at Transfera Video Art. Canal Autor (ES)
Jul/Aug 08: The 809 International New Image Art Festival (CHINA)
06/07/08: Festival Miden, Kalamata (GR)
03/07/08: Fascurt Festival. Masnou, Barcelona (ES)
27/06/08: Cyborg Film Festival. Anghiari (IT)
20/06/08: Heure Exquise. Lille (FR)
11/06/08: Naresuan University, Phitsanulok (THAILAND)
25/03/08: BEFF5, The Bangkok Experimental Film Festival (TH)
26/02/08: Barcelona Visual Sound Festival at La Farinera, Barcelona (ES)
25/01/08: Hoerbar, Hamburg (DE)
06/01/08: Die Remise, Berlin (DE)
26/10/07: Spektropen Festival at Galata Perform, Istanbul (TR)
29/06/07: Triennal of Arquitecture. MusicboxLisboa, Lisboa (PT)
29/06/07: CincoEchegaray, Málaga (ES)
30/03/07: Festival Sincronía. NIU, Barcelona (ES)
21/12/06: Heaven at OPA, Paris (FR)
16/12/06: Lille 3000 Festival at Tripostal, Lille (FR)