“Somewhere between a video concept album and an essay film…his songs match sparse, poetic lyrics with garage rock, folk, industrial, power pop, often ingeniously combined within a single song.” - David Finkelstein (Lake Ivan Film Journal ) full review
“This film is an epiphany - literally: with it’s sun-hump gloriously suspended in the sky in a leap…wrought from yellow sock and mischievous wit…from acrylic colors and old cassette-tapes. Its creator is the most cagey of the image poets. He is the dodgy Parmigianino of poetry film.” - Jury Statement (Honorable Mention - Zebra Poetry Film Festival)
The Mirror Neuron / DV & 16mm / 16min / 2021 / soundtrack
The Mirror Neuron is an art rock film divided into five vignettes investigating the complexities of interconnection beneath an awakening sun. Mirror neurons activate when we observe the actions of others. They allow us to empathize through feeling, not thinking. Their discovery confirms our evolutionary path to see others as similar to ourselves. The Mirror Neuron celebrates biology through a series of musically driven gestures intended to activate our neural networks.
Screenings: Antimatter [media art], Milwaukee Underground FF, Experiments in Cinema, Other Cinema’s Optronica, Athens International Film & Video Festival, Zebra Poetry Film Festival (poetry mix), Swedenborg Film Festival (poetry mix), WVMSFF (poetry mix) Award - Best Experimental Work, Under the Radar (poetry mix), Tranas at the Fringe (poetry mix)
Video, Music & Text: written, recorded, edited & performed by Tommy Becker. Vocals, Guitars, Keys & Drum Programming by Tommy Becker. Video Synth elements by Kit Young. Bass guitar on The Other & 4,000 Miles by John-Paul McLean. “Goodwill” written by T. Becker & Scott Gagner. Mastered by Be Hussey at CATWATER, Los Angeles, CA. Archival Footage sourced by Craig Baldwin.
Before the Sun Turns • DV & 16mm • 2021 • 1min clip of 16min total
In sensory space, neurons keep firing, rooted feeling, reacts to the drama we feed. The media feed, flood brain keep smiling, connectional heap, bury the cosmical bing.
4,000 Miles • DV & 16mm • 2021 • 1min clip of 16min total
It is 4,000 miles to the center of the earth. The temperature at the core is estimated to be around 9,800 °F or about the same temperature as the surface of the sun.
Pulling Down the Sky to Give You the Sun • DV & 16mm • 2021 • 1min clip of 16min total
After piecing together a yellow outfit from second hand stores, the simple act of jumping is turned into a performed act of giving as a figure struggles to transform himself into the sun.
The Other • DV & 16mm • 2021 • 2min clip of 16min total
Robot voices replace ancient torches. A path made of stone. A virtual fortress. As long as we see ourselves in the other.