Ritual in Transfigured Time
Maya Deren,
1946,
15’
Set across social gatherings, interiors, and gardens, among other locations, Ritual in Transfigured Time (1946, silent, 15 minutes) features Deren herself along with Rita Christiani, Frank Westbrook, and Anaïs Nin as players within a loose, dreamlike narrative. This iconic work shares similar formal strategies with Deren’s tour de force Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), including hard cuts between disparate physical locations and a sense of surreal play. Symbolism, slow motion, and stop-motion contribute to the almost Kabuki-like atmosphere with unforgettable effect.
