«The Dark, Debra» by Dina Yanni

If creative talent lies in finding new ways to apply rules in achieving a result, The Dark, Debra is a brilliant and contemporary example of how a work of art can succeed in crafting a story by working at the margins of canonical narrative languages.

Editing, a favorite tool of the avant-garde in every era, is used by Dina Yanni to subvert the original narrative and hierarchy of the material she uses, in this case, a Hollywood classic, an example of pop culture subtly shaping the tastes and gaze of the general public. Here is where a political element comes in, which through the stitching together of dismembered images plays with power.

Combining a natural sense of rhythm, irony, and absurdity with a theoretical framework refined through years of study and research, Dina Yanni creates a cut-up in which Debra Paget’s emotions reign, questioning the role to which she had previously been hinged and, in so doing, the very concept of actress-character identity.

The Dark, Debra takes us into a world that is both futuristic and nostalgic, fascinating and deeply disturbing in constructing an alternate plot by breaking down previously given raw materials, and letting us glimpse an abyss of unfathomed possibilities.