Amirmahdi Kalantari’s photo-film DAWNING DUST searches for the existence of an unknown creature through the eyes of a person whose character is too unknown to the viewer. The goal of this project is to take the viewer on a journey to search for an elusive being, while exploring themes such as freedom and the search for meaning. The photographs used in this film are a testament to the creature’s presence in that place but never to its existence. Since existentialism is the starting point of this story, the artist uses its imagery and philosophy to shape them in a way that fits and serves the story, rather than using them as they are in their original context. The film starts with a standard opening for most Persian fiction books, but proceeds to go to the experimental realms of cinema by fusing different media. Persian symbols used in this film give a historical, social, and cultural background to the story. Three different timelines of the film intertwine and create a narrative that takes place in the present tense.
