Her Face Was Covered

Omer Fast, Her Face Was Covered, 2011

Exhibition view, Part II: 80 slides playing at 4 second intervals, Omer Fast, Kunstverein, Köln

Dyptich containing:

Single channel, digital film, sound
Duration 6 min
Slide show, 80 slides playing at 4 seconds intervals
Edition of 6 (+ 2 A.P.)

The starting point for the work is the story of an unmanned air vehicle operator who describes a live-fire mission at an undisclosed location.
Observed from a drone flying high in the sky, a woman approaches a smoldering truck on a desert road. After hesitating for a moment, she picks up a weapon from the truck and is therefore targeted by the drone operator and killed by his missile. The drone operator declined to be interviewed directly about this event but agreed for his close friend to channel his answers, remotely, like a ventriloquist, via skype.
The facts - already separated by one generation - are further complicated by nagging uncertainties regarding the story’s female antagonist.
What first appears to be a female combatant might actually be a male combatant dressed as a female civilian - or just a woman out scavenging who is mistaken for a male combatant dressed as a female civilian.
The short video contains the drone operator’s testimony - directly recorded via skype through his friend - and pairs his words with footage that first appears to be authentic but turns out to be props and crew on a film set.

Omer Fast, Her Face Was Covered, 2011

Exhibition view, Part I: Single channel video, 6 mins, Omer Fast, Kunstverein, Köln

Dyptich containing:

Single channel, digital film, sound
Duration 6 min
Slide show, 80 slides playing at 4 seconds intervals
Edition of 6 (+ 2 A.P.)

The starting point for the work is the story of an unmanned air vehicle operator who describes a live-fire mission at an undisclosed location.
Observed from a drone flying high in the sky, a woman approaches a smoldering truck on a desert road. After hesitating for a moment, she picks up a weapon from the truck and is therefore targeted by the drone operator and killed by his missile. The drone operator declined to be interviewed directly about this event but agreed for his close friend to channel his answers, remotely, like a ventriloquist, via skype.
The facts - already separated by one generation - are further complicated by nagging uncertainties regarding the story’s female antagonist.
What first appears to be a female combatant might actually be a male combatant dressed as a female civilian - or just a woman out scavenging who is mistaken for a male combatant dressed as a female civilian.
The short video contains the drone operator’s testimony - directly recorded via skype through his friend - and pairs his words with footage that first appears to be authentic but turns out to be props and crew on a film set.

Omer Fast, Her Face Was Covered, 2011

Dyptich containing:

Single channel, digital film, sound
Duration 6 min
Slide show, 80 slides playing at 4 seconds intervals
Edition of 6 (+ 2 A.P.)

The starting point for the work is the story of an unmanned air vehicle operator who describes a live-fire mission at an undisclosed location.
Observed from a drone flying high in the sky, a woman approaches a smoldering truck on a desert road. After hesitating for a moment, she picks up a weapon from the truck and is therefore targeted by the drone operator and killed by his missile. The drone operator declined to be interviewed directly about this event but agreed for his close friend to channel his answers, remotely, like a ventriloquist, via skype.
The facts - already separated by one generation - are further complicated by nagging uncertainties regarding the story’s female antagonist.
What first appears to be a female combatant might actually be a male combatant dressed as a female civilian - or just a woman out scavenging who is mistaken for a male combatant dressed as a female civilian.
The short video contains the drone operator’s testimony - directly recorded via skype through his friend - and pairs his words with footage that first appears to be authentic but turns out to be props and crew on a film set.

Omer Fast, Her Face Was Covered, 2011