Close Enough

by Valeria Barabas

Moldova  |  2016  |  80 min  |  Completed

Synopsis

How to perceive your own body? How to accept your own being? The film investigates states of depression, capturing the performative confidential process of confession, openess to self, to bodyacceptance, through re-creating the ritual of quasi-self-baptising. The film reveals an intimate, close enough self-exploration of a 33 years woman – Valeria, confronting with her own frustrations and fears, in search for acceptance. “Aproape, destul de” (Close Enough) was filmed on phone by film director in a forbiden for filming space, during the balneological procedure at the soviet rehabilitation sanatorium “The white watter lily” in Cahul, Republic of Moldova, catching hidden moments from recovery baths at Soviet sanatorium.

Biography

Valeria Barbas, (born 1984) is a multi-media artist, based in Republic of Moldova. Having multidisciplinary artistic background, she studied for a B.A. and a M.A. in music composition, Moldovan Academy of Music, Theatre and Art. B.A. in painting, State Pedagogical University, V. Barbas combines in hers projects different mediums. Her art-investigations, also have an scientific realm, she is also PhD in study of art and culturology, author of a book dedicated to contemporary music: new music from Moldova. Researcher at the Institute of Cultural Patrimony, Academy of Sciences, Moldova. Member of Moldovan Union of Painters, Union of Composers and Musicologists, Association of women in moldovan cinematography. Collaborates from 2008 as an artist with moldovan Center for contemporary art KSAK. Author and director of TV program ”Zona Ars” about moldovan contemporary art scene 2019-present at Moldova Public Company TV Moldova 1. Having a different background, Valeria Barbas is activating as a film director, and as performer of her own projects, the exploration of audio-visual field in (dis)connection, co/presence with the body are one of her main interest. Working medium: painting, performance,video-art, sound, installation, film.

Screenings

  • Brukenthal Museum of Contemporary Art, Sibiu, Romania
  • International Moving Film Festival Khouzestan, Iran, Islamic Republic of, Semi-finalist, 2020
  • Direct Monthly Online Film Festival, Official Selection 2021
  • Luleå International Film Festival, Sweden, Finalist 2021
  • Stockholm City Film Festival, Sweden, Finalist 2021
  • Imaginary Mind Film Contest, Official Selecion 2021
  • Sweden Film Awards, Semi-Finalist 2021
  • Moscow International Experimetnal Film Festival (MIEFF, 2021), Glazok on-line program, Moscova, Rusia
  • Toronto International Women Film Festival, Official Selecion, 2021
  • Essex DocFest, United Kigdom, Official Selecion, 2021
  • Berlin 180, Germania, Semi-finalist, 2021