Boredom
Jim Jarmusch <Coffee and Cigarettes>, <Mono
bloc>
Jim Jarmusch, Cigarette and coffee, United
States, Japan, Italy, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2003
© Cinesthesia Productions INC
Sitting around the table, its checkered surface stained with brown stains, alongside half-empty coffee cups and an ashtray overflowing with cigarettes, the characters' conversations evoke feelings of both comfort and boredom. Each of the 11 episodes revolves around ordinary dialogues exchanged between 2-3 characters in the coffee and cigarette setting. Through subtle shifts in their conversations, their relationships experience slight changes, occasionally resulting in unexpected shifts of power. The film maintains an internal poetic rhythm by consistently interweaving motifs of coffee and cigarettes, dialogue exchanges, table settings, and camera angles throughout the episodes. Through the repetition of these motifs and minimal editing, the film allows me to perceive the passage of time with its distinct rhythm.
Monobloc
©
Jürgen Lindemann
In the image of anywhere with this chair, it creates a certain atmosphere no matter where it is placed. When I recall the time spent in this chair, it brings back memories of comfortable yet mundane conversations. This chair creates a practical and everyday mood. Overall called Monobloc, although it was produced by designers and manufacturers in many countries, it was copied around the world and sold at prices appropriate to each country's circumstances. Common features are that they are made of lightweight plastic, are injection molded in one piece, and can be stacked in a small space. These chairs are used everywhere: event halls, schools, churches, store fronts, street vendors, and more. In Switzerland, this chair was banned because it littered the landscape.
I realized my aversion to boredom. Whenever I am in situations where meaningless topics are discussed, surrounded by everyday objects, the very mundane world makes me want to escape. While there is a certain comfort in this familiarity, I also recognize the ugliness. Strangely enough, it was in this setting that the narratives began to take shape - dialogues between characters in the midst of their everyday surroundings. The ordinary dialogues and elements make up the narrative, intertwining stories through conversations and relationships.