The latest of Alexander and Susan Maris’ pilgrimages to iconic mountains, this filmic circumnavigation of Picu Uriellu in the Picos de Europa reveals the different facets, and topographical profiles, of this landmark mountain in a series of locked-off views, taken at various stopping-off points during the course of an imaginary day. Structured in eight ‘chapters’, which roughly correspond to the canonical ‘hours’ of the early Christian/medieval church, and also allude to the eight fire-festivals of the ancient Celtic calendar, ‘Uriel’ marks the passage of time, from an ethereal mountain dawn to the ‘magic hour’ before twilight, in a procession of memorable images, contrasting the elemental imprint of the mountain landscape with the fleeting presence of human subjectivity.

Commissioned by LABoral Centro de Arte, Gijón. Produced by Film and Video Umbrella.

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