Today we are speaking with Svetlana Cemin about her film Psyche, the extraordinary documentary about the artist Saint Clair Cemin’s creation of his sculpture, Psyche. The film was shot over a five year period, from the initial idea for the work, through selecting the marble in a Chinese quarry, to its final installation in a sculpture garden in Cleveland. It is a remarkable film for many reasons, and we are lucky to be able to ask Svetlana a few questions about it.
Chris McClure, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): First off, I must ask, who are the people with metal masks and strange instruments in Saint Clair’s studio?
Svetlana Cemin (SC):The two people, with metal masks are musicians from Argentina- Ensamble Ferroelectrico de Marte. The band doesn’t exist anymore, unfortunately. I met them in a subway station on 42nd street in January 2017 in Manhattan. I was astonished by their performance and waited for their return to NYC, after their tour which lasted over a year, to engage them for the film.
(UM): Can you speak about the initial idea for the film? When did you decide to make this film, and why?
(SC): I made this film because I wanted to tell from beginning to end the story of how an art piece is made. All my films are focused on the process of creativity, and this film was specifically dedicated to the work of the world-renowned sculptor, Saint Clair Cemin.
(UM): When making a documentary, the filmmaker often has to cut enormous amounts of material that don’t fit the narrative. Were there any sequences you wish you could have included?
(SC): We shot the film in China, Brazil, USA and Switzerland, and I had tons of good material to choose from. There were plenty of good scenes especially in Brazil also in Switzerland durig the artist solo show and as well in Beijing where the artist participeted in a spectacular show of newly oppend Museum of Contepmorery Art, but I had to follow the story and give balance to each part of the narrative.
(UM): Were there any moments you wish you had captured but didn’t?
(SC): Perhaps I could have been more observant of the changes of the sky.
(UM): One of the themes that comes to light when listening to Saint Clair is the relationship between the conscious and the subconscious in the mind of the artist. Do you find as a filmmaker that you also experience Mthis struggle to quiet the conscious mind and allow the subconscious to do its work freely?
(SC): During the preparation of the project, I had a goal I wanted to follow. I wanted to follow my initial plan for the film which, of course, at times, can be completely unpredictable. However, the beauty of making art is that it is unpredictable. I had to be open and follow my intuition to discover the process as I moved along. I used the symbolism of dreams in order to delve deeper into the scenes and develop the actions. This helped me to stay focused on the narrative.
(UM): You’ve spent a lot of time with the sculpture, Psyche. Could you tell us what it means to you?
(SC): Psyche, to me, means the search of a soul existence and the a commitment to be alive.
(UM): Did it bother Saint Clair that you were filming him?
(SC): I think it was the contrary, Saint Clair is a very curious and generous artist. He was very enthusiastic during the whole process of filming this documentary. I cannot speak for him, but I have never heard him complaining or wishing to control the process of developing the story.
(UM): Can you tell us about any plans for future films?
(SC): I can’t wait to start shooting my first feature film, which will deal with a very different subject from art, it will be about human oppression.
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