Runninghead:THEENCLAVE
TheEnclavebyRichardMosse
JasonBridger
PortlandStateUniversity
THEENCLAVE
Space
Theviewerissurroundedbydarknesswhenenteringthecorridorofthefilmsectionof
theexhibit.Inaominousroomofshadowsandbrightscreensthereisnoescapingtheintense
gleamofpinkrollingoverthewallsandothersintheroom.Thescreensseemtobefloatingin
frontofyouturnedindifferentdirections.Ihavenoideawheretostandaroundthescreens
somescreenslookrighttomeuntilImoveacrosstheroomandrealiseIvebeenlookingatthem
backwards.Thespeakersareallaroundandyoucan'tavoidtheboomingsounds.Vibrations
rattlethewallsandgivetheviewerahairraisingexperience.
Thegalleryisdimlylitandthephotosspanacrossthewalls.Thepicturesseemtohave
noaction,likesoldiersorpeoplestandingpatientlyandriverscoveredinpink.Thevibrancyof
thepinkthrowsoffthewholerelaxingsettingandmakesthephotoslooksoforeign.
ThefilmwasthebiggestreactionformebecauseIcouldntescapeanyofthepicturesor
sounds.Thefilmphysicallymademefeeluneasyandthenoisesleftmerestless.Thesoundsof
thefilmevokethegreatestreactionoverallbecausetheyweresoeerieandIwasexpectingtobe
abletounderstandsomeofityetIfeltIwasabandonedofallcomprehension.Therewasloud
thumpingandconstantringing.Sometimesyoucouldmakeoutwordsbeingspokenoveraradio.
Atonemomentinthefilmyoucanhearalittlegirlsinginginswahili.
Thisworkmademethinkthatallconflictisntaseasyaswhoisfightingwho.Ididnot
understandwhatthesoldierswerelookingfor.Theyseemedtoalwaysbeonguardandreadybut
nothinghappens.Thereisonesceneinparticularofasoldierwalkingthroughtallgrassand
engulfedinplantstryingtogosomewhere.Hesuddenlystartsrunningoffintothegreenwallsof
vegetation.Thenthemostimportantpartofthecliphappens,itstops.Thereisnothingmore
THEENCLAVE
abouttheclipofthesoldierhurrying.Thisleavessomanyquestionsleftwiththeviewerand
leavesthemuneasythattheydidntgetthewholestorylikeinanormalfilmpiece.Itmakesyou
thinkaboutwhatyouaremissingfromtheproblemsintheDemocraticRepublicofCongo
(DRC)andthesideofthestoryyoudontsee.
Themessagesbehindthefootagearenotshownbecauseofthenonlinearshots.Mosse
doesntseemtobepushingastoryontheaudiencehegivesusobservations.Theviewerdoesnt
seeanyconflict.Theydoseethelackofneedslikethemuddystreetsandwholevillagestrying
tomovehousesandcars.Thisveryvisibleconflictlikethedeadbodyshowninthestreetsand
theconstantawarenessofthesoldiers.Theissuesthatoccurfromtheviolencethatwedon'tsee
isthelackofneedslikeeducationandhealthcare.Mossealsoshowedeveryaspectofthe
congoleselifefromcelebratingtomourningthedead.
Thefilmshowsthehardshipofthepeoplelivinginthecivilwarbutonlyformoments
staringintothecamera,celebrating,orworking.Thefilmdoesnthavetimetoshoweach
individualdestroyedbythesewars.Thecorruptionsettlinginfromoutsideresourcesorthe
militarytakingadvantageofthepeople.Agoodtooltobringtheinvisibletothevisiblewasthe
filmingtechniqueoftheinfraredfilm.Soldierswhowouldblendrightintothejunglesuddenly
popouttotheviewer.Theseconflictsoftenmaskedandcoverednowshowingtotheviewer.`
VisualEvent
Thescenewherethecameramanfollowsagroupofboysfromthecrowdintothevillage
ofstrawhutsuntilstoppingatamanstaringbackatthecamerastoodouttomeinthecontextof
globalization.Ihavenoideawhothesepeopleare.Idon'tknowiftheyareworkersforanearby
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coltanmineorjustrefugees.Eachpersoninthecrowdwaswearingsomethingdifferent.Some
werewearinggeneralclothinglikeabuttonedshirtandsomejustdresses,butmanyofthe
childrenallhadflashylogosontheirshirts.Impoverishedchildrenacrosstheworldarewearing
thesameoutfitsthatIworeasakid.
TheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongoseemssocutofffromtherestoftheworldwhen
itcomestointerestintheregion.TheconflicttherehasbeenthemostdeadlysinceWorldWar
Two(Shah,2010)yetwedontgivethecongolesethenewscoverageandsupportweshould.The
amountofresourcesintheregionbringsthewealthiestcountriesintoitsbordersforachanceof
profit.ThesechildrenwearingAmericanbrandclothing,sowninMalaysiaminingcoltanfor
cellphonesbeingsoldinBrazil,manufacturedinChinainordertomakeenoughmoneytolive
theirlives(Shah,2010).EvenwhenitcametowatchingorresearchingfortheEnclave.Thereis
alotofinformationabouttheissuesbutnoplantogetpasttheracialdivideandaddressthe
underlyingissues.
SomeofthebiggestproblemsintheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongoarepovertyand
sexualviolencetowardswomen(Kippenberg,2009).TheDRChasareputationtobetheworst
placetobeawomanorachild.Themainreasonwhytheseproblemsexistaretheethnic
conflictsthatcamefromneighboringRwandaandanongoingcivilwarbetweengovernment
troopsandrebelgroups.Theviolencehavecausedinfrastructuraldamage,internaldisplacement,
anddeath(Robinson,2006).
TheUnitedStatesisabigfactorintheviolenceintheDRCbyweaponsalesandmilitary
training.TheleaderoftheDRC,LaurentKabila,duringtheinitialsparkofviolencewasbacked
bytheUnitedStatesandwasbackedbyZimbabwean,Angolan,andNamibiantroops.Therebel
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groupswerebackedbyBurundian,Rwandan,andUgandangovernments(Shah,2010).Kabila
wasassassinatedandhisson,JosephKabila,tookoverforhimandstillisinpower.Kabilahas
beentryingtoworkwiththeUnitedNationstobringtroopsinandtohavetalkswiththe
BurundianandRwandangovernments.Eachdecisionthereisalsohastoincludetheinterestsof
nearbycountriesmakingthisaglobalissue.Tothinkthisisanissuethatissolelyinsidethe
nationalborderswouldbefoolish.
OverallReaction
ThegoalsforTheEnclaveweretoshowthestruggleoflifeintheDemocraticRepublic
oftheCongothroughalensethatmadeitseemlikeitwasveryforeignandalienlike.Thisuseof
filmtoshowhowsomethingwewouldseeatbeingverydistantisdirectlyaffectedbyour
everydaylivesacrosstheglobe.Wewouldliketomaketheseconflictsseemlikenotour
problembuttheyalreadyareaffectingustoo.OnecritiqueoftheworkwasthatIdidntgainany
knowledgeontheactualpoliticalconflictsortheeffortstofixthem.Thefilmisalmostentirely
oftherebelgroupsandthecivilianslivingunderthisareanonefromthegovernmentsviewor
theissueswiththecongolesearmy.
IfeelMossewassuccessfulinconveyingthismessagebecauseitmakesyourealisethat
thisisntfarfromhomethefamiliesstrugglingarepeoplewithneedslikeus.Ithoroughly
enjoyedTheEnclavebecausethereissomuchthatonecanpickoutfromit.IfIbelieveIsaw
onemessagesomeoneelsecanhaveadifferentmessagebuteitherwaythisconflictisrealand
stillhappening.
THEENCLAVE
References
Kippenberg,J.(2009).
Soldierswhorape,commanderswhocondone:Sexualviolenceand
militaryreformintheDemocraticRepublicofCongo
.NewYork,NY:HumanRights
Watch.
Mosse,Richard.
TheEnclave
.2013.PortlandArtMuseum,Portland,Oregon.
Robinson,S.(2006,May28).TheDeadliestWarintheWorld.
TimeMagazine
.
Shah,A.(2010,August21).TheDemocraticRepublicofCongo.RetrievedJanuary30,2015.
