Depth of Discharge

Teaser for Depth of Discharge, 0:58 min., 2021

The immersive film ‘Depth of Discharge’ translates the seductive, captivating magic of 18th-century enlightenment demonstrations into an abstract exploration of the roots of the nine different units used to measure electricity.

The film is made with an experimental form of high voltage electro-photography technique in which the artist uses the conductive transparent layers from touch screen devices. The sound composition is composed of recordings of the electric discharge on different frequencies.

The film features electrified objects associated with technology and energy use, including minerals with lithium, coal, circuit boards, copper wires, and personal devices.
By making microscopic electric interactions visible, electricity becomes an actor, adopting an almost animistic character.

“Depth of Discharge is viewed in a black box. The projection is the only form of light and delivers sequences of energetic interactions, which create a visual spectacle in thousands of shades of monochromatic blue. The frequency of the sound and image creates a mesmerizing experience, giving the feeling that both the frequencies of the brain and the film are synchronized into one.

The scientific use of the term Depth of Discharge is associated with the life of a battery. The life of the battery is measured by its ability to recharge. Depth of Discharge was created by high voltage photography where the electricity and electrified objects became the protagonists and the discharge of the drama.

The film depicts modern empires based on minerals’ energy economies. The symbols in the film are taken from a table of standard electrical units and reveal the metaphors associated with utopia and electrical dystopia. Concepts related to the electric sign language indicate the ideals that the symbols represent beyond their technical meaning.” Fragments from ‘The Lightnings Slayers,’ Galit Eilat, 2021