Synopsis:
What does it mean to be an artist-immigrant at a time when the world is on the verge of major change? NY(See) - [a pun substitutes the word "see" for the letter "C"] is Lili White's first feature-length movie, made without a script, a storyboard, or an editing plan. Part home-movie, part city-symphony, NY(See) straddles the borders between autobiography and documentary movie-making, imparting the archetype of "the artist." Eschewing the documentary film's standard of opinion, NY(See) captures a zeitgeist that reflects what New York stands for: America's cradle of immigration, the site of the 9/11 disaster, and platform of a genuine international city once considered the center of the art world.
NY(See) blends the space between immigrant artists Mara Wave, John Spinks and Kim Su Theiler, intersecting their artwork, New York cityscapes and White's performative actions. Ms. White keys out her painted body using Chinese characters for "eye" and "to see", to refer to poetry, the written language and to the act of writing itself; which, like manipulation of the Caranguejo, (a toy derived from the Anime-Crab, an original sculpture by Lygia Clark) conveys a sense of internalized experience.
NY(See) exploits chance happenings that occurred while filming. Its edit presents sections that center on shared topics of conversation, letting the viewer to draw the segments of the movie together for themselves. Topics of personal identity, artistic practice and issues of today's global market are layered in an open-ended manner presenting each protagonist in an essentially un-polished manner.
Architectural marvels such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings contrast with bridge and street scenes. Places include: The Imagine Peace Memorial in Central Park's Strawberry Fields; The Statue of Liberty; Ellis Island; Times Square, the World Trade Center disaster site; and Union Square decked with public shrines created in memory of that disaster. Public events include a race in Central Park, a Protest Parade against Nuclear Weapons, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Rockefeller Center at the time of the Pope's Funeral. Pubic art events include: William Kentridge's film presentation in Central Park; THE GATES PROJECT by Christo and Jean-Claude, FLOATING ISLAND by Robert Smithson and Lili White's sidewalk projection of her CLOUDGATE video.