Caged by Kristin Adolfson This year the tenth annual Virginia Film Festival examines and explores the notion of being "Caged!" in film and video. The various films, videos, and forums presented investigate the theme of imprisonment in its varied manifestations, contexts, and representations. The concept of imprisonment in the visual arts consists of physical, mental, and emotional states of being caged. The films presented in the Festival delve into all three, investigating various forms of imprisonment such as self-inflicted and forced imprisonment, internal or physical caging, and the dichotomous relationship between the repressed prisoner and the oppressor. These states of imprisonment have been interpreted in the visual arts in an endless array of styles and techniques. The medium of film and other media provide artists with a broad tableau for the exploration of the condition and effects of imprisonment by enabling them to construct and meld a representation of reality to reveal specifically the subtle nuances of the conditions of being caged, the effects on the individual in society, and the general implications that can affect future views and conceptions of imprisonment. The theme of imprisonment has long been prevalent in art, dating back to Paleolithic cave painting, one of the earliest forms of artistic expression. According to Joseph Pijoan in his book History of Art, "Another superstition common to primitive minds is the belief that by wounding the image of a person or animal, the same effect is magically produced upon the original of the image. Thus by spearing the miniature figure of a caribou, it is believed that the hunter will later be able to wound or kill the animal itself." The representations of the hunted animal served as a way to magically capture or imprison the essence of the animal. This act of imprisoning an entity through artful representation of its real form initiated the development of art as interpretation of the world surrounding the artist. Therefore the idea of imprisonment centralized at the 1997 Virginia Film Festival has existed as a subject since the origins of art itself. The imprisonment theme remains a common one, often revisited by artists over the centuries, continually developing and changing. Presently filmmakers and videographers, as well as growing groups of multi-media artists, constantly surpass the limits of their medium as they search for and develop new ways to portray the many states of imprisonment. The films and videos presented at the Festival serve as both cultural commentary and internal explorations of the world of imprisonment. Documentaries such as Public Housing, Waco: The Rules of Engagement, and Calling the Ghosts are all expressive and educational, critiquing the current society while weaving an intriguing story as a backdrop. There are fictional films which also serve the same activist function as these documentaries, such as I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, which motivated the country to challenge prisoner abuse in the state of Georgia upon its 1932 release. Such films seek to expose and rectify "caged" states through both the real and the fictional, both as a work of art and a sociological examination. Other films focus on the exploration of imprisonment's metaphysical sense. Portraying this sense of being caged is problematic because it is a state of mind that needs to be articulated, thus it is often necessary for filmmakers to use techniques that create a visual representations of character's psyche. The Festival's films tend to be highly visual, relying on the juxtaposition of images to successfully render a seemingly inarticulate state of mind. One of the films in the festival, Woman in the Dunes, is an example of such a film that artfully probes into the condition of mental and emotional imprisonment. The film, through the depiction of an entomologist's imprisonment in a widow's solitary shack, tackles such issues as self-imprisonment, desire, and free will in an array of arresting images that seem to meld together as the landscape and those inhabiting it become inseparable. As we further penetrate the psychological state of the main character the camera moves physically closer to the subject. While we seem to grasp the character's essence through the closeness of the shot, the close-up images are tight and restricted, echoing the metaphysically imprisoned condition of the subject. This is just one example of how a filmmaker can create the sense of being caged visually. Every aspect of filmmaking can be effectively manipulated to accomplish this quality. Specific choices of camera placement, lenses, lighting, angle, as well as montage and sound, including smaller details of timbre and intonation, can all produce the effect of mental or emotional confinement. For example, when deciding the angle of a shot conveying that a subject is perhaps mentally caged, a director could choose to shoot the subject at an extremely high angle -- almost a birds-eye view. This technique creates the idea of confinement by not only diminishing the stature of the subject, but also through the actual frame of the camera which would form a confining rectangular space recalling the small, enclosed walls of a jail cell. This is just one of the tools a filmmaker can employ to suggest a confining mental environment. The films showcased at this year's Festival are in themselves studies of the state of imprisonment, functioning both as thematic documents and as explorations of an ancient theme developed in diverse forms and styles. Many of the films presented in the Festival also serve as social critiques, documenting of the past and present forms of prison systems, penitentiaries, solitary confinement, and other methods of punishing criminals. There has been ongoing debate between various political and social groups searching for humane yet justice-serving forms of punishment for violent and non-violent criminal offenders. From panopticon designs where prisoners in a circle are observed by an all-seeing but hidden center eye, to solitary confinement, the chain-gang, and maximum security prison environments, debate wears on as to the best way to deal with criminal offenders. The films and art exhibits presented in the Festival address all of these options and their consequences to both the individual and society as a whole. Today other issues surface pertaining to the specific rights of individuals in the prison system. Should efforts be made toward rehabilitation? If so, will they be effective? Do criminals have the right to public education, and could this in turn be a viable source of rehabilitation? Heated debate continues over the death penalty as well. The Festival offers many discussions and forums on these issues to accompany the films that present these questions. When searching for the solutions to problems of this caliber, it proves beneficial to analyze not only the prison system as an independent entity but also the criminals filling it and the social reactions to crime and criminals. According to the National Criminal Justice Commission, more than 80 percent of new-admission criminals are non-violent ones: drug offenders (which shockingly represent 60 percent of prisoners in U.S. Penitentiaries), panhandlers, burglars, etc. So where are the multitudes of mass murderers and other violent criminals that we are led to believe fill our prisons? They exist, of course, but in vastly smaller numbers than is perceived by the majority of people. Many filmmakers and social thinkers believe that they are chiefly a construct of the media and the current proclivity of television and film to sensationalize violent crime. This affection for violent crime fiction affects society in a multitude of ways besides the commonly-discussed desensitization of individuals to violence and suffering. The excess of violent images is creating a society wherein, as Dr. George Gerbner, the keynote speaker in the Festival's Curry School Forum states, "the fictional violence exaggerates the viewer's fear of crime and of a harsh and dangerous world where, in response, the punishments must become stricter and more severe. All of this leads to a pervasive sense of insecurity and vulnerability. As television and film continue to portray violence as a predominant subject, society is systematically becoming caged into their homes, paranoid to walk the streets at night and afraid to speak or come in contact with any strange person." The Festival does not only focus on film, it also addresses the role of the media as an important factor in viewing issues that characterize our society. Since becoming a predominant force in our day-to-day lives, the media carry special weight as both a text to be analyzed and a means through which to convey discoveries and ideas. Beth B presents a video/sculpture installation at the Bayly, titled A Holy Experiment. Gallery Neo curator Vangie Griego and co-producer DeeDee Halleck present Deep Dish TV, featuring samples of Paņo Arte, Latino prisoners' handkerchief art, and a monitor running Deep Dish TV's new series Bars and Stripes. Gallery Neo is also showing twelve oil paintings by Native American artist Leonard Peltier, who is serving two life sentences for allegedly killing two FBI agents on June 16, 1975 at the infamous Pine Ridge Indian Reservation shootout. The government has recently changed its theory on the murder of the federal agents, admitting that they do not know who killed them. Ron Lessard, director of the Leonard Peltier Freedom Campaign and Gallery Neo's director Lydia Conder organized the Peltier show in conjunction with the Festival theme. Since his incarceration 20 years ago, Peltier has used his paintings to represent his people and their spirituality. Peltier says of his work: "It's a way of letting people know that I have not been conquered by the oppressor even though I have spent more than 20 years in these iron lodges. It's a way of saying thank you to the people for their support, and it's a way of letting them know their prayers are strong." Peltier's paintings have helped establish a scholarship for Native American law students as well as finance most of his own defense. His work will be on display downstairs at Gallery Neo through the Festival dates. There are also many forums and panels with media as the subject, such as the Curry School forum, Media Coverage of Violent Youth: Fear-Mongering or Fact? with George Gerbner, Michael Moore, and others. In relation to the themes presented at the Festival, the media play a very interesting and subversive role. Television, "information," and other forms of entertainment continually shape our conception of the world around us and what our reactions to this world should be. The various exhibits and forums at the Virginia Film Festival point out the characteristics of these conceptions of imprisonment, freedom, and crime and their consequences on individuals, social structure, and the government. The nature of the Virginia Film Festival, which combines film viewing with intellectual discussion and reflection, should stimulate the participant to think, observe, and analyze the world around them after being exposed to the issues and concepts presented at Caged! The ability of the media to sensationalize criminal behavior and enter our homes in the guise of entertainment is only one of the ways it influences our attitudes and perceptions of the world surrounding us. We must observe and consider to what extent mass communication affects our everyday lives. It is difficult to ignore the fact that each of us are individually caged by the subtle workings of the media. It is important to expose media oppression and attempt to change the negative consequences resulting from social injustice both in and out of the penal system. The films of the Festival provide a broad, historical perspective and a critical approach to these issues.

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