Leaving Me


Edmonton 2008, 6:45 min, Dir: aAron munson

In Leaving Me, a young man recounts his experience with mental illness and how it impacted life as he knew it. While we can barely make out what he’s saying, the matter-of-fact tone of his delivery survives director aAron munson’s deliberate distortion of the soundtrack. munson describes his film as “an abstract journey through the fabric of the brain, revealing the fragile elements of self that are contained within.” He layers images that appear to represent or recall ways we understand the brain and its connection to self: reflections that inform attempts to know ourselves but are inevitably tinged with uncertainty, concealed in shadows. Who are we? What is identity? Understanding this mystery has always been prevented in part by the challenge posed by our own subjectivity, by our inability to “leave” ourselves. The distortion of the young man’s words suggests we may never be able to fully appreciate his situation, yet it’s conceivable that his experience allows him unique insights into the puzzle of identity.

Edmonton filmmaker aAron munson has created twenty short experimental films over the last five years. Using Super 8, 16mm, and 35mm, his work explores the fine qualities of working with film while incorporating the use of other visual mediums. Employing a variety of different filmmaking techniques such as pixillation, timelapse, and stop-motion, aAron explores his own interpretation of the world around and within himself, and reveals the many layers of a universe yet unseen. With an emphasis placed on texture and tone, he relies on imagery and sound to communicate the meaning behind his films. His works have been screened at many film festivals and multi-disciplinary events. munson also collaborates with numerous audio artists both locally and internationally.