grass grows from the middle – thinking like grass (2023)

• 72%
• 2023
• Lisa Gronau

The experimental short film is a fragmentary attempt to investigate the political potential of grasses, which in purely biological terms, in distinction to many other plants, do not grow from the root or from the tip, but from their own center. The short film does not fulfill expectations of a nature documentary, much more it explores the analogies to human and animal hair and thus dares a deconstructive attempt of diverse norms of beauty and design as well as ethics of use and exploitation that shape bodies and nature. The short film asks about the so-called "natural", about what is allowed to grow in our society and what is trimmed, shaved, cut and domesticated. The aesthetic breaks through the use of different media (Super 8 and Mini DV) and the "trimmed" screen not only takes a critical look at current reception habits, but also questions overarching norms and ideals, which is underlined by the song "mess it up" by catnapp and the integration of collected sounds.