Simone Forti

Multimedia documentary project profiling pioneering, emerging, innovative and otherwise compelling Los Angeles-based female artists, philosophers and social entrepreneurs.

Adopting the movements of various animals, Forti begins the performance by walking hypnotically in circles. She falls to the floor and begins a cycle of walking and crawling that becomes an open metaphor for evolution and aging. Through the course of the performance, the camera follows Forti's circling motion at increasingly close range, creating an interactive dance between camera and performer. While "rustic" in respect to the quality of the video image and sound, Solo No. 1 serves as an engaging document of Forti's dedicated study of natural movement.

Composed of just four shots in which Clara McHale-Ribot, Rachel Kushner, Richard Hebdige, and Simone Forti read quietly to themselves, the film offers portraits of its subjects while simultaneously serving as a mirror for the viewers, who perform a parallel stillness.