Run to the Woods

Run to the Woods is an off-kilter, narrative-mix video essay that captures the tension of a romantic plan of escape gone horribly wrong, with a group of girls camped out in the forest finding themselves hunted by an unseen, malevolent force. Birdsong and naturalistic atmosphere gives way to ambient, dark, bass and electric guitar parts, with locked-off, long-take shots giving way to quick, shaky, handheld shots as the women find themselves more vulnerable than they realised, signalling the encroaching evil. Close-ups are contrasted with extreme wide shots to express the women's vulnerability in a vast landscape. The script/poem further enhances the eerie, otherworldly quality of the narrative, traversing the tension of reality and fantasy. All performances were given loose direction, encouraging each performer to inhabit their character as naturalistically as possible, playing with the space and engaging with the narrative more personally. As a small team of five, having to carry heavy gear long distances to get to each location further enhanced immersion in the story.  All of these key components knit together to create a story of beauty, ambiguity, tension and fear.

Caitlyn Dixon is a Christian interdisciplinary artist working across moving image, textiles, performance and collaborative art-making practices. Her works are relational in nature, charting connections with tenderness and intimacy as a way to interrogate and caress human relationships. Coming from studies in politics and international relations, she draws on her research and studies to create fictional scenarios inspired by rebel groups, feminist scholarship, environmentalism and anti-war sentiment. She works primarily with non-trained actors, using low-impact productions to create works that do not negatively impact the environment they were produced in.

Instagram: @caitlyn.d.creatingstuff