And I’ll never forget my first exposure to this video, “thanatos,” when it was screened at the American Film Institute as part of Pixelodeon, the first festival of online video. There’s nothing like watching video meant for the web in a theatre full of strangers. Even more so when it’s playing a game of, “is she, or isn’t she?” before an audience you can hear and feel the response from.
For instance, you just know something is off from her opening greeting, “Hey, Tubers.” (And not just because the video is hosted at blip.)
The artist is Victoria Lucas — not her birthname, but chosen “so not even daddy can find me,” and in a nod to Sylvia Plath. Bear in mind that shifting of identities as you watch. And don’t be shocked if your hand finds its way to your throat without you even knowing why.