Apology

I don’t know why I’m showing this video to you. I am certain it is a failure and should be removed from The Hundred Videos. Indeed I have deleted many videos which are more interesting, more worthwhile, more deserving of your time and attention. In general when an artist appropriates material they do something with it, they turn it back on itself, they fool around with it to reveal latent meanings, any number of worthwhile and radical things. But I haven’t done this. I made a few changes to my appropriated video clip hoping that something latent would manifest but nothing did. Everything is on the surface here, the little changes I’ve made are merely irritations, useless reframings.

— Do you wish anything madam? You’ve always to see this room haven’t you madam? Why did you never ask me to show it to you? I was ready to show it to you ever day. It’s a lovely room isn’t it? The loveliest room you’ve ever seen. Everything is kept just as Mrs. DeWinter liked it. Nothing has been altered since that last night. I’ll show you her dressing room. This is where I keep all her clothes. You would like to see them, wouldn’t you? Feel this, it as a Christmas present from Mr. DeWinter. I keep her underwear on this side. They were made especially for her by the nurses at the convent at St. Clair. I always used to wait up for her no matter how late. Sometimes she and Mr. DeWinter didn’t come home until dawn. While she was undressing she’d tell me about the party she’d been to. She knew ever5yone that mattered. Everyone loved her. When she finished her bath, she’d go into the bedroom, and go over to the dressing table. Oh you’ve moved her brush haven’t you? That’s better. That’s where she always laid it down. Come on Dani, hairdo, and I’d knock away twenty minutes at a time. And then she would say good night Dani and step into her bed. Did you ever see anything so black? Look, you can see my hand… Do you think the dead come back and watch the living?

— I don’t believe it.

— Sometimes I wonder if she doesn’t come back here to Mandalay to watch you and Mr. DeWinter together. You look tired, why don’t you stay her awhile and rest. Listen to the sea. So soothing. Listen to it. Listen. Listen to the sea.