Giri Chit

(2009, 14 minutes)

Cosplay girls, urban farming and a Zamboni.

GIRI CHIT tells a tale of the subtle trace of irreconcilable worlds. A worker driving a mobile sweeper in hypnotic circles across an already immaculate surface. The high drama of cosplay aficionados clamoring to be seen. A cast of thousands toiling hundreds of feet above the street.

Giri translates as ‘duty’ in Japanese, but the concept is in fact far more complicated. Giri is a sort of interpersonal political capital that informs careers, family relations, and much more. Its presence and flow is palpable in Japan, where this film was shot. A “giri chit” then may be a hypothetical voucher for this intangible flow (with a tip of the cap to Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland”).

Selected Screenings and Awards:

• WINNER, Best Experimental Film- DaVinci Film Festival
• Chicago Underground Film Festival
• Athens International Film and Video Festival
• Dallas Videofest
• ICDOCS Film Festival
• NewFilmmakers at Anthology Film Archives
• Oxford Film Festival
• Director’s Lounge (Berlin)