FRAMES by AUDREY SEYBOLD AND ANNA REMUS
Directed by Audrey Seybold & Anna Remus / Reviewed by Monali Majhi
Audrey Seybold’s experimental short Frames is a quest to know one’s self. The Self stands for all types of phenomenon in a man. It expresses the human potentiality as a whole. According to Jungian Philosophy, “The self appears in dreams, myths, and fairy tales in the figure of the “supraordinate personality,” such as a king, hero, prophet, saviour, etc.”. Seybold and Remus beautifully explore the concept of self, identity and potentiality in this four-minute delight of a film.
The film begins with a woman climbing the spiral stairs in a castle. She tiptoes and we follow her. 
The sound of her footsteps mingles with the ticking clock. The eerie atmosphere almost throws us to Andrew Marvell’s immortal lines - But at my back I always hear/Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;/And yonder all before us lie/Deserts of vast eternity. The woman walks into a room, as if enchanted by the décor. She is fascinated what lies ahead her – framed photographs. She picks up one after another and it takes her to different sojourns of her own. All those photographs arepresented as minuscules of the wandering lady’s different selves.
Frames is an amazing film. On one hand, it has deep philosophical significance. On the other, it could very well be a film about fashion. The costumes and make up really leave a mark in the audience – be it the gothic Queen or the White Princess or the Crazy Hipster.
Natalia Che did an outstanding job with the make-up. The Costumes are brilliantly done. They suit the mood and serve the purpose. One would almost be envious of the wardrobe by AMLN Designs & Audrey Seybold.
The film is inspired by a poem of Audrey Seybold. The treatment of the film is truly poetic. It has the Romantic charm mixed with a sense of mysterious sensuality. Audrey Seybold and Anna Remus created perfection on screen. Their choice of location helps their case. The film is shot in Wilson Castle, which was built in the middle of the 19th Century in the heart of the Green Mountains in Vermont, USA. The elegant and richly gracious interior of the castle is the picture-perfect backdrop for unravelling the narrative.
Seybold’s script speaks for imaginative brilliance. The different personas are like layers of a dream which culminates into the final shot of the film. Seybold is a multi-talented artist. Her acting is powerful. I wish to see more from her in the future. The cinematography is well done. Mike Sun’s camera skilfully translates Seybold’s vision. 
The shots are well-measured. Samantha Markey’s set is intriguing. The music arrangement deserves special mention. It is so gripping that we almost don’t notice that there is no dialogue in the film.
Audrey seems to want to disseminate the idea that one can be anything that one wants to be without putting themselves in a framed mindset. She wants to explore the boundless possibilities of self in this film. Anna Remus’s direction helps her achieve her goal. The film takes you in a journey of your own. If you enjoy mind-bending films, this is for you.
