BARdo Concerto

“When filmmaker John Warren set out to work on a project with composer Alicia Enstrom, the two could not possibly known how relevant the idea of the suspension of life itself might be. This Buddhist concept, called Bardo, is the subject of a set of five meditative pieces that they have collaborated on.” - Colleen Phelps, 91 Classical review, May 2020

In the Buddhist tradition, Bardo is a liminal state between death and rebirth when one’s consciousness is not connected with the physical body yet experiences a variety of phenomena. Using this concept as a springboard, Enstrom and Warren have set out to make five short pieces that explore beauty, darkness and transcendence during this metaphoric time of bardo, when our normal way of life has become suspended because of the pandemic.

All sound was made utilizing Enstrom’s violins, voice, and samples and was produced and recorded by her in her home studio. All visuals were made with Warren’s 16mm Bolex and Canon super 8 film cameras. The footage was edited digitally, though many cuts were made “in camera.”