THE IDIOTS
film series by Kira Nova
directed by Ignas Krunglevicius
directed by Ignas Krunglevicius
WE’RE HERE AND WE’RE A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS AS WELL… WE’LL GET BACK TO YOU ABOUT IT
"The Idiots" follows a troupe of eight actors who venture into environments with rigid codes of behavior—such as five-star hotels, gallery openings, and city squares. True to their idiotic nature, they take everything literally and comply with these environments' theatrical and constrictive behaviors to the point of absurdity.
There are three levels of stupidity: the smartest, Morons, fully subscribe to symbolic order; the less smart, Imbeciles, navigate between symbolic order and their own interpretations; and the stupidiest—Idiots (our main characters) — embody total naïveté, believing only in what they can see.
Set in Los Angeles, "The Idiots" depicts these artists on a journey to embrace their idiocy. They embark on expeditions to places with particularly rigid moronic orders, not to disrupt but to lull and lubricate these environments with their Imbecile-like misinterpretations. Gradually, they create organized chaos, seducing others into blissful oblivion. This process aims for individual and social transformation through annulment, a return to the state of zero—the state of The Idiot.
In a time of global chaos, rigid positions, and social compartmentalization, "The Idiots" offers a highly naive, utopian alternative. It invites us to believe in the impossible, to find inner freedom, and to reconnect with others, meeting eye-to-eye once again.
Film by Kira Nova, directed Ignas Krunglevicius, cast: Daniel Koren, Julia Rose, Naomi Moser, Scout LaRue Willis, Robert Smith, Maria Nova, Lilly Langford, Gabriel Kessler
There are three levels of stupidity: the smartest, Morons, fully subscribe to symbolic order; the less smart, Imbeciles, navigate between symbolic order and their own interpretations; and the stupidiest—Idiots (our main characters) — embody total naïveté, believing only in what they can see.
Set in Los Angeles, "The Idiots" depicts these artists on a journey to embrace their idiocy. They embark on expeditions to places with particularly rigid moronic orders, not to disrupt but to lull and lubricate these environments with their Imbecile-like misinterpretations. Gradually, they create organized chaos, seducing others into blissful oblivion. This process aims for individual and social transformation through annulment, a return to the state of zero—the state of The Idiot.
In a time of global chaos, rigid positions, and social compartmentalization, "The Idiots" offers a highly naive, utopian alternative. It invites us to believe in the impossible, to find inner freedom, and to reconnect with others, meeting eye-to-eye once again.
Film by Kira Nova, directed Ignas Krunglevicius, cast: Daniel Koren, Julia Rose, Naomi Moser, Scout LaRue Willis, Robert Smith, Maria Nova, Lilly Langford, Gabriel Kessler
Kira Nova (b. Kaunas, Lithuania) is an artist, theater director, and educator.
Her shows blend circus, absurdity, and hallucinatory experiences, described by Artforum as “Too slapstick to be genuine, too genuine to be satire, too unnerving to be empty-calorie entertainment.”
Nova’s works have been presented internationally, including the 13th Gwangju Biennale, Centre Georges Pompidou, MET Breuer, MoMA PS1, The Kitchen, Sculpture Center, Swiss Institute, dOCUMENTA (13), Hauser & Wirth, de Appel, Block Universe, and the Swiss Sculpture Exhibition. She co-curated the 11th Baltic Triennial at CAC, Vilnius.
Nova has taught at Columbia University, Banff Center, Paul Klee Center, Sandberg Institute, de Appel, and Piet Zwart Institute. Since 2013, she is a professor at Malmö Art Academy.
Her shows blend circus, absurdity, and hallucinatory experiences, described by Artforum as “Too slapstick to be genuine, too genuine to be satire, too unnerving to be empty-calorie entertainment.”
Nova’s works have been presented internationally, including the 13th Gwangju Biennale, Centre Georges Pompidou, MET Breuer, MoMA PS1, The Kitchen, Sculpture Center, Swiss Institute, dOCUMENTA (13), Hauser & Wirth, de Appel, Block Universe, and the Swiss Sculpture Exhibition. She co-curated the 11th Baltic Triennial at CAC, Vilnius.
Nova has taught at Columbia University, Banff Center, Paul Klee Center, Sandberg Institute, de Appel, and Piet Zwart Institute. Since 2013, she is a professor at Malmö Art Academy.
Ignas Krunglevičius (b. Kaunas, Lithuania) currently lives and works in Oslo. He has received his MA in music composition from Norwegian Academy of Music in 2010. His installations, videos, and sculpture often combine sound, and text, where he explores the intermix between the agency of power, nature and existential realities generated by global technological development. Krunglevičius’ works have been exhibited at the Astrup Fernley Museum, Oslo, Norway; OCT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shanghai, China; Kunsthall Oslo, Norway; Ultima, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, USA; Transmediale, HKW, Berlin, Germany; La Biennale di Venezia, Nordic pavilion, Italy and The 19th Sydney Biennial, Australia, amongst others.
THE IDIOTS
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Filming process: Pure Idiocy Transcendence
Structurally, the film consists of several layers: an internal layer, the main engine, which is the internal banter of the idiots; the second layer is the soundtrack; and instructions from one of the “directors.” This director is never present on the scene, as most of the film is directed via email through to-do lists, semi-strict rules of behavior, and cheerleading sessions over video links.
The core idea, drawing inspiration from cinema greats like Ozu, Bresson, von Trier, and Glasser, is to systematize and formalize all levels of the film, from planning to presentation. All decisions are intended to emanate from within, being immanent. The pure idiocy of the group dictates the aesthetic.
The film is shot using mobile phone cameras, hidden cameras, and dash cameras in cars. This approach makes the act of filming invisible, allowing for more genuine reactions from both the environment and the participants.
The aim is to achieve transcendence through pure idiocy, ranging from the banal social dissonance of the misfit to a Butoh dance level of catharsis, from the joy of a love song melody to the purifying power of white noise.
The core idea, drawing inspiration from cinema greats like Ozu, Bresson, von Trier, and Glasser, is to systematize and formalize all levels of the film, from planning to presentation. All decisions are intended to emanate from within, being immanent. The pure idiocy of the group dictates the aesthetic.
The film is shot using mobile phone cameras, hidden cameras, and dash cameras in cars. This approach makes the act of filming invisible, allowing for more genuine reactions from both the environment and the participants.
The aim is to achieve transcendence through pure idiocy, ranging from the banal social dissonance of the misfit to a Butoh dance level of catharsis, from the joy of a love song melody to the purifying power of white noise.
