Naomi Uman

Three Sparks

three sparks is an intimate picture of village life in Albania, crafted in gratitude by a guest. Mexican/American artist Naomi Uman lived and documented life in rural Ukraine. Inspired by having seen her experimental non-fiction films portraying village life, she was invited to create a portrait of life in rural Albania. This took her to Rabdisht, a village perched high in the mountains, where people farm the rocky, vertiginous land.

removed

Starting with a piece of vintage porn, filmmaker Naomi Uman painstakingly removed each female figure from the footage using nail polish remover, leaving a striking absence where there's usually a fleshy presence. Uman's celebrated film is a smart retort to pornography's obsessive gaze at the female body.