Creative Capital Project "The Darkness of Day"

[Source: Creative Capital, November 17, 2010]

2008 Creative Capital Film/Video grantee Jay Rosenblatt has had an incredible year, touring his Creative Capital project, The Darkness of Day, to film festivals around the world. The Darkness of Day is a haunting meditation on suicide comprised entirely of found 16mm footage. Voice-over readings from the journal of an acquaintance of Rosenblatt's who ultimately committed suicide intermix with narration of a range of compelling stories, from the double suicide of an elderly American couple to a Japanese teenager who jumped into a volcano, spawning a thousand imitations. The film's lyrical qualities invite the viewer to approach the subject with understanding and compassion, and, as the New York Times put it, "it's easy to admire the skill and craft that went into its making." 

The Darkness of Day has screened at more than 20 festivals this year, and it has taken home awards and honorable mentions at seven. Its New York premiere took place on October 13 at The Museum of Modern Art, which honored Rosenblatt with a week-long exhibition program of five of his films, called The Darkness of Day. At the exhibition's opening night, Rosenblatt revealed that the seeds for this series had been planted at the 2008 Creative Capital artist retreat, when he first discussed it with MoMA's film curators.