Before After (2011) explores South Williamsburg through a series of filmed experiments in the mostly Latino and Jewish communities. The camera is considered as a compass that gives direction to a variety of inquiries. This compass guided interactions with the neighborhood, both in terms of physical space and its inhabitants, and consequently the method of approach was to experience the area like a spacious urban playground.
The short sequences in this piece are the result of unexpected encounters with people, images, and local rituals. Objects were used as props to facilitate interventions with spaces and communications with people. The title of the project is in reference to a photography storefront sign along Lee Avenue in the heart of the Jewish neighborhood, reminding us that deciding when something is “over” or “finished” is easier said than “done.”
