Truth Movements is a short film taken from The Light Surgeons live audio-visual performance True Fictions. It weaves a tangled web of conspiracies theories, divergent views and public oratory from the 5th anniversary of 911 together into a escalating argument about truth.

The film contrasts two points of view, protesters who want to re-investigate 911 and those who oppose their intervention outside the memorial on this national day of morning. The conversation flits from person to person as the exchanges of opinions become increasingly passionate and emotional. A group of US marines berate a crowd who proclaim that 911 was an “inside job”. Their heated exchanges reveal how even contemporary events are fought over and continue to be manipulated for commercial and political motives.

These conflicting opinions are musically scored with a building vibraphone melody, live drums and an Oud solo by Mavrothi Kontanis. This middle eastern instrument points a figure to the US response to these tragic events.Original footage, stills and interviews recorded at ground zero by Christopher Thomas Allen & Robert Pyecroft-Rainbow in 2006.

TRUE FICTIONS is result of a year long digital performance art project produced and directed by Christopher Thomas Allen and commissioned by EMPAC, The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Centre in Troy, New York.

The project was supported by The Jaffe Fund for Experimental Media and Performing Arts.

For more information, video and still images of True Fictions please check: http://www.avfolklore.blogspot.com
More video excerpts from the live performances can be viewed here: http://www.vimeo.com/lightsurgeons

Produced & Directed by Christopher Thomas Allen
Camera & interviews by Christopher Thomas Allen & Robert Pyecroft-Rainbow
Edited by Christopher Thomas Allen , Tim Cowie & James Price
Musical arrangement by Tim Cowie & Mark McRae
Oud by Mavrothi Kontanis
Drums by Brian Fishler

True Fictions is the result of a year long digital performance art project, produced and directed by Christopher Thomas Allen and commissioned by EMPAC, The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Centre in Troy, New York.

It is a live audio visual spectacle that fuses documentary film making, music, animation and motion graphics with cutting edge digital performance tools. A stunning collage of music and live cinema which explores the themes of truth and myth through a multitude of American and Native American voices; with a original musical score created through the collaborations of 25 New York based musicians and vocal artists.

The final performance was completed and presented in September 2007 at EMPAC and has gone on to tour other media & arts festivals internationally.

For more back ground information about how this project was devloped please visit: http://www.avfolklore.blogspot.com
For more video excerpts from the project please visit: http://vimeo.com/channels/truefictions

The following audio tracks and stills are taken from various international live performances:

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True Fictions is performed by:

Christopher Allen (audio & video)
Tim Cowie (audio & video) Malcom Litson (audio & analogue operations)
Jude Greenaway (audio)
Mark McRae (live guitars & keys)
Matt Waterfield (lighting & technical support)

Touring:

The Armour, EMPAC, Troy, New York, USA, September, 2007
The Great Hall, Urban Screens Festival, Manchester, UK, October, 2007
Teatro degli Arcimboldi, Milano, Italy, November, 2007
ZEMOS98 Festival, Seville, Spain, March, 2008
IMAX Cinema, onedotzero festival, BFI Southbank, London, November, 2008
Brighton Pavilion, Loop Festival, Brighton, July, 2009
Waterfront, TRANS Festival, Captalist Arts, Belfast, July, 2009
Rotuda3, HITEC, Mirowave Festival, Hong-Kong, November, 2009
The Others, Hackney Film Festival, London, September 2010
Freeform Festival, Warsaw, Poland, October, 2010

Project Produced & Directed by Christopher Thomas Allen

Cinematography: Christopher Thomas Allen & Robert Pyecroft-Rainbow
Photography:Christopher Thomas Allen, Robert Pyecroft-Rainbow & Helen Omand
Edited: Christopher Thomas Allen, James Price & Tim Cowie
Animation: Martin Banks, Tim Cowie & Blinkinlab
Audio Interviews: Christopher Thomas Allen, Robert Pyecroft-Rainbow & Jo Williamson
Assistant Producer: Annie Kwan
NYC Production Co-ordination: Sarah Pace
Research & location Production: Helen Omand
Studio Sound Recording & Initial Arrangements: Ben Allen
Music Production & Arrangements: Tim Cowie
Addition Audio Production: Malcom Litson, Mark McRae & Jude Greenaway

Special thanks to:

The Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, Salamanca
The Ronathahonni Cultural Center, Cornwall Island, Ontario
Nichols Meat Processing, Altamont, NY
David Lublin & Ray Cutler at VIDVOX
Kathleen Forde, Jason Steven Murphy and all the staff at EMPAC

An EMPAC Commission supported by The Jaffe Fund for Experimental Media and Performing Arts NY

New York Musical Contributors:

IN THE RED :12″ Release

Ninja Tune Records 2002
Designed by Chris Allen

The performance was commissioned and developed by onedotzero festival and was toured internationally between 2001 and 2003.
The following excepts from the performance where recorded at the World Wide Video Festival in Amsterdam, 2001.

APB: A WORLD OF EXTORTION

APB: SO YOU KNOW

APB: A PENNY IN MY POCKET

THE 9TH INNING

APB: WILD MAN OF NEW YORK

APB: THE BOOK OF CHANGES

APB: SUICIDAL MELODIES

A full documentation of this performance is availble on the “Lost Leader” DVD, Published by Gasbook in Japan. Three of the original Scanone audio tracks are available on the “Down & out” 12″ record. These tracks are featured below from our Soundcloud.

Collaborating Artists: Christopher Thomas Allen, Jude Greenaway, James Price & Robert Rainbow

Touring:

APB (All Points Between)’ onedotzero5, ICA, LONDON – 2001
World Wide Video Festival, Amsterdam – 2001
onedotzero_nottingham, Nottingham, UK – 2002
Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, UK – 2002
B.TV Festival, Sheffield, UK – 2002
onedotzero_manchester / Futuresonic, Manchester, UK – 2002
Roppongi Think Zone, Tokyo, Japan – 2002
onedotzero_sfmoma, San Francisco MOMA, USA – 2002
Electrofringe, NSW, Australia – 2002
onedotzero_munich, Munich, Germany – 2002
Auto Festival, Sheffield, UK – 2002
Visonic AV Festival, Belfast, Ireland – 2003
Pixelache Festival, Helsinki, Finland – 2003

The first live AV performance created by The Light Surgeons took place at the Lux Cinema in 1998 and was commissioned by the London Film Makers Co-Op.

The show consisted of many sampled scenes and fragments from different cult sci-fi and thriller films which together formed a Frankenstein narrative. A feeling of suspense and tension was built during the show as a time code slowly counted down to 00:00.

This use of a visual time code was also key to the syncing of the music and the visuals by giving queue points for the live musicians to start tracks at specific points. All the music was performed live by the band the Herbaliser, with additional soundscapes from Dynamic Syncopation, both artists on Coldcuts Ninja Tune label.

The show formed the opening event for the Lux Cinema in Hoxton Square and was run in collaboration with the Blue Note club next door where there was a big after show party curated by The Light Surgeons with a line up of DJ’s and audio visual artists.

Sadly both venues no longer share the address.

See flyer for details:

The Performance went on to be shown at the Rotterdam Film festival in 1999.

Visual Artists: Christopher Thomas Allen, Andy Flywheel, Andy Firman & Mark Blackburn
Musical Collaborators: The Herbaliser & Dynamic Syncopation