In Aldous Huxley’s psychedelic memoir, The Doors of Perception, he comments on the beauty and mystery of the network of leaves surrounding a flower, over the celebrated blossom itself. The idea is that an expanded mind will be drawn to more subtle patterns and tones, as opposed to grandiose aesthetic flourishes. A Ray Array, the new experimental film by Lucky Dragons member Sara Rara, provides a lens for these details. The 58-minute film explores the idea of interference through visual ruptures, interactions between sound signals, and optical illusions, and is composed of static shots– mostly of everyday objects.

The score, which comes courtesy of Rara and Lucky Dragons’ Luke Fishbeck is overwhelming and persistent at times; and at other points, it seems to magnify diegetic sounds from what is transpiring in the frame. As simple and non-narrative as the film is, it is one of the most emotionally impactful experimental pieces I have ever seen. As two sets of hands pull a transparency with parallel lines over a nearly identical sheet of white paper, creating a dance of DIY optical effects, you are reminded of the strength and magic of partnership. When a sublime, rounded, moon-like sheet of marble suddenly shatters, you feel a profound sense of despair and destruction. Once again, these images are largely simple and commonplace. The film’s strength lies largely in its ability to remind us of the power of looking and listening.

Words: Samantha Cornwell