Azoth (1973)

This work produces complex flicker patterns by splicing together four types of footage, consisting of shots of the exterior of a factory during the day and at night, in positive and negative versions. Nakai created a masking film with a calculated pattern of black and white frames into which he inserted positive and negative images and made a print out of two separate rolls of film. “Images of an industrial zone in constant operation day and night are utilized with the sense that it encapsulates both the beginning and the end. Scenes shot from morning to evening and then from evening to morning are divided into negative and positive frames, resulting in four types of images that intersect, manipulating the effects of film processing on perception.” (Tsuneo Nakai) Two versions of the film exist: 13:40 mins at 24 fps and 20 mins at 16 fps.