Ritual in Transfigured Time: A Sonic Re-telling
Sound Designer & Composer
Experimental (9 minutes)
Final project for the class ‘Sound Design’ taught by Eric Rosenzveig at NYU Prague.
This a sonic re-telling of Maya Deren’s 1946 film ‘Ritual in Transfigured time.’ I selected the first ‘act’ (the first 9 minutes) of the longer silent film, to explore how a sonic interpretation of Deren’s groundbreaking work might affect the way a viewer experiences the work. The film is notable for its disjointed storytelling and use of slow motion, freeze framing, and unique blend of stage dance and film. In my work, I blended sound design and compositional elements such as prepared piano and foley to create an acoustic narrative that evokes a sense of dread, existentialism and reflection. Deren’s work was in many ways defined by its silence, making this re-telling a complicated answer to the question of ritual, time and movement posed by the film.
Shyalina Muthumudalige 