“There’s No End” By Mattias Evangelista

In the wake of personal tragedy, legendary indie-rock musician Phil Elverum moves to the remote San Juan Islands to raise his only daughter.

The short film IN MEDIAS RUSH is an experimental cinematic journey into the depths of a manic mind. A poetic retro-sci-fi narrative unfolded in a string of unsettling tableaus that encapsulates the male protagonist’s ambiguous feelings about his birthday. While balancing between realities in his silent struggle with severe mental illness, we plunge into the film at a neatly orchestrated birthday party. The protagonist is accompanied by his girlfriend, and they are drinking cocoa on the couch in their mutual home. The setting breathes pure perfection, but through the voice over we sense that another reality is soon to be revealed. With one foot on the accelerator, he is heading towards the edge. The thematic focal point of IN MEDIAS RUSH is mental health problems among young adults, and the social/personal consequences related to the existing taboo on the subject. The film wishes to formulate an honest cinematic space in which words, sound, and image artistically interprets and articulates some of the perspectives related to especially bipolar, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. IN MEDIAS RUSH was nominated in the category 'Best Danish Short Film' at Copenhagen Short Film Festival in 2020. Original title: IN MEDIAS RÆS Directed by: Esben Persson -------------------- DK: IN MEDIAS RÆS IN MEDIAS RÆS er en filmisk rejse ind i dybderne af et manisk sind. En ung mand fejrer sin fødselsdag, mens hans tanker tordner afsted. Med en uvillig fod på speederen har han kurs mod kanten. FR: IN MEDIA RES IN MEDIA RES est un voyage dans les profondeurs d’un esprit maniaque. Un jeune homme fête son anniversaire tandis que ses pensées se multiplient. Malgré lui, il se dirige vers un point de non-retour. -------------------- Cast: Peter Alexander Bach & Amanda Overby Drew Director // Script writer // Set designer // Costume designer // Editor // Speaker: Esben Persson Photographer // Editor: Lasse Mølsted Producer: Latifa Lykke Ben Mabrouk Assistant producer: Cecilie Creutsberg Music composer: Martin Bejder Sound designer: Mads Hye Chief Lighting Technician: Rasmus Bruun Liboriussen VFX: Jonas Fonnesbæk Lodahl Colorist: Kristopher Paterson Graphic designer: Jakob Toft Kristensen -------------------- Shot on RED Monstro 8K with Lomo Squarefront Anamorphics.

“I always try to just be myself. Sometimes I make songs and albums of spilled guts deep-reaching ideas and send them out to all the strangers in the world, but mostly I've tried to keep the real daily life private. I've wanted to share the meat and hide the skin.

Now I find myself surprised to be revealing a beautifully filmed portrait version of this home life; the simple routines with my young daughter, the meandering ideas that burble out unformed.

Our lived moments aren't the art project, but a picture of our little world with its everyday light and shadows, the place where we actually live. Coffee and oatmeal on a school morning, talking again about death and jokes and emptiness.”

- Phil Elverum

From The Director

“I was born and raised in Northern Washington State. The music of the Northwest has always been huge inspiration for me; Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse, and The Microphones. Like so many, The Glow Pt. 2 had a lasting impact on me.

In my mind, music is the highest form of art, and  it’s my goal to create a film that gives me the same feeling my favorite albums do. I’m naturally drawn to stories about musicians and  Phil is a “character” I had in the back of my mind for a while. I was intrigued with him as an artist and also felt a sense of connection to him, since both of us are from the Pacific Northwest. After the passing of Geneviève and listening to A Crow Looked At Me, I began to feel like I had to make this film. But, I wasn’t sure where to start. How could I possibly approach Phil? “Hey I’m this person you’ve never met, I want to come make a film about you and your daughter and your dead wife.”

Why would he ever be interested in that? A few years go by and I find myself in Mexico randomly sitting in a pool with Phil’s uncle, Tim,  I couldn’t believe it. Another year goes by and I finally find the courage to ask Tim to connect Phil and I.  A few days later I awake to an email from Phil asking what my vision was for the film.  Knowing he was genuinely interested in the project meant the world to me. So, after a short  pre-production we started shooting in September 2020. I was joined by my good friend and cinematographer, Riley Donavan, without Riley this never would have happened. I’m very grateful for him embarking on this journey with me.

We stayed with Phil and his daughter for five days at their home in the San Juan Islands. Eating breakfast with them in the mornings, drinking fancy European wine with Phil at night. Nothing was scripted, nothing was forced, just pure observation. I’m eternally grateful to Phil for opening his life to us and for being an amazing collaborator and teacher. Part of me is still amazed at how this all came together,  but at the same time it all makes perfect sense. The way it happened was so natural, the connectivity of it, the circularity. It feels like it was meant to be.”

— Mattias Evangelista

Credits

Directed by: Mattias Evangelista @mattiasevangelista

Director of Photography: Riley Donavan @rileydonavan

Executive Producer: Phil Elverum

Featured Music by: The Microphones & Mount Eerie

Additional Score by: Mark Hadley and Simone Porter

Edited by: Mattias Evangelista

Colorist: Dylan Hageman @dylanmhageman

Sound Design and Mix: Roman Richard @reshaard

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