2024, digital video collage, 13:37 minutes, color & bw, sound.
Elvis dreams of an alternate reality in which previously strict gender norms are mocked and his queer desires are eventually fulfilled – a détournement of the white playboy stereotype in the Elvis movies.
Director Statement
“The remix of an existing work contradicts the idea that the meaning of this work is fixed forever and can only exist in one context. Instead, remix films circulate alternative narratives of popular works, all the while being suspicious of conventions and authorities.”
“Experimental filmmaking is the excitement of possibilities: the experiment in it, however, is not the true objective, it is rather the means to disconfirm your ideas and to radically alter your perspective.”
Bio
Dina Yanni is an Austrian video artist and researcher with Egyptian roots whose work is heavily influenced by popular culture, digital image manipulation, and critical theory. Through compilation and analysis of existing footage, experimental editing and data corruption, Yanni strives to reveal, reevaluate and reframe power structures discovered in the original materials. Dina Yanni holds a PhD in Political Science and an MA in Film Production. Her work has been exhibited at experimental film and video art festivals internationally.
Video and Music footage references: Love Me Tender (1956); Loving You (1956); Jailhouse Rock (1957); King Creole (1958); G.I. Blues (1960); Flaming Star (1960); Wild In The Country (1961); Blue Hawaii (1961); Follow That Dream (1962); Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962); It Happened at The World’s Fair (1963); Fun In Acapulco (1963); Viva Las Vegas (1964); Roustabout (1964); Girl Happy (1965); Tickle Me (1965); Frankie and Johnny (1966); Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966); Spinout (1966); Easy Come, Easy Go (1967); Double Trouble (1967); Clambake (1967); Stay Away, Joe (1968); Live A Little, Love A Little (1968); Charro! (1969); The Trouble With Girls (1969); Change Of Habit (1969).
Pebbles Underground is focused on showcasing and promoting experimental, avant-garde, underground, and no-to-low budget projects by artist-humans from all over the world. Absurd, uncanny, witty, humorous, slow-video – all are welcomed, and loved.
Pebbles Underground is an independent project not funded by any government or corporation, and we intend to keep it that way. Main source of funding is personal donations from humans organizing the project, who are artists themselves, and the main drive of the project is formed by the energy and involvement of the organizers, and the public.
