DVCAM, 4’00”

“No Man is an Island” examines the relationship between two juxstaposing characters. An older man is seen dancing wildly in a courtyard. In front of him, a younger man sits on a bench, sobbing. The relationship between them is ambiguous. The older man’s dance is clearly intended for the younger man, but the reasons behind it are left unknown. While a first assumption might be that they are lovers, as the film continues the relationship appears to be more platonic, perhaps that of a father and son, or of a mentor and his apprentice.

Just’s strength is in the way he leaves it up to the spectator to decide the history of the characters he presents, thus leaving the spectator with more questions than answers. By eliminating verbal communication and using sound and hand gestures, the spectator must empathise with the characters in order to understand their context.