Meshes of the Afternoon

(Giorgio de Chirico, Mystère et mélancolie d'une rue, 1914)

A long, long arm is laying slowly a flower on the street. A street as in a canvas by Chirico. Maya Deren is approaching, taking the flower. We cannot see her face, only her shadow is taking shape on the wall and on the street.
We can briefly note the back of a person somewhere on the right. A person dressed as a nun, a black mantle with a hood: passing the street, taking the corner, disappearing.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house, holding the flower in her hand. We can see only her shadow on the wall.
She's knocking at the door, then trying to open it, by pushing the handle. She's taking out the key from her satchel. She's loosing the key, that's riding down the stairs, one stair at a time. Maya is going down the stairs, one stair at a time, is taking the key back.
She's unlocking, going inside.
There are newspapers in a mess on the floor. A loaf is on the table with a huge knife wedged in. The knife is detaching from the loaf, falling on the table.
Maya' s going toward the stairs to the bedroom. The phone is lying on the stairs out of cradle. She is passing around it and continues her way up the stairs to the bedroom. We can see only her shadow.
The bed is in a mess. The black veil is moving slowly in front of the open window.
She's going down to the living room. We can see only her shadow. A gramophone is on a small table near an armchair. The gramophone is running, without a sound. She's stopping it.
She's sitting down in the armchair, closing her eyes.

The story seems to move behind her eyelids.

The person dressed as a nun is passing the street, holding the flower in her hand. We see her from the back. She's turning her face toward us, we can see that there is no face under her hood, but void.
Maya is following the nun. Now we can see her, no more her shadow. The nun is taking the corner, disappears.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house. She's pushing the door, going in.
She's advancing to the stairs inside. The huge knife is lying on the stairs. She is passing around it and continues her way up the stairs to the bedroom.
The bed is in a mess, the phone is lying on the bed, out of cradle. We can spot the shadow of the huge knife under the quilt.
The black veil is moving slowly in front of the open window. Maya is approaching the window, bending on it, back against the window.
She's going down to the living room.
The gramophone is there, on the small table near the armchair. The gramophone is running, without a sound. She's stopping it.
The first Maya is still lying in the armchair, seemingly dreaming.
The second Maya is at the window, watching the street where...
The person dressed as a nun is passing the street, holding the flower in her hand. We see her from the back. She's turning her face toward us, we can see that there is no face under her hood, but void.
Maya is following the nun. The nun is taking the corner, disappears.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house.
The Maya that is at the window shows the key between her lips.
She's playing with the key, between the lips, in her hand, between the lips, in her hand.
Meanwhile the Maya from the door is pushing the handle, going in.
The huge knife is lying on the small table near the armchair where the first Maya is sleeping.
The person dressed as a nun is raising the stairs up to the bedroom, holding the flower in her hand.
Maya is following her on the stairs, shaking terribly on each stair, as in an earthquake.
The person dressed as a nun enters the bedroom. The bed is in a mess. She is laying the flower on the bed. There is no face under her hood, but a small mirror.

Maya is still lying in the armchair. The new Maya is watching her from somewhere near the ceiling. Then she is approaching the window, watching the street where...
The person dressed as a nun is passing the street, holding the flower in her hand. We see her from the back. She's turning her face toward us, we can see that there is no face under her hood, but void. Void, or a mirror?
Maya is following the nun. The nun is taking the corner, disappears.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house.

The Maya that is at the window shows the key between her lips.
She's playing with the key, between the lips, in her hand, between the lips, in her hand.
The key becomes a huge knife, the huge knife becomes a key, the key becomes a huge knife, the huge knife becomes a key.
Meanwhile the Maya from the door is pushing the handle, going in.
The two other clones are sitting at the table, looking at her. She joins them.
The first Maya is still lying in the armchair.
The three clones are watching the huge knife that is lying on the table. The huge knife becomes a key. The key becomes a huge knife. The huge knife becomes a key. The key becomes a huge knife. They look at each other more and more horrified.
One of the clones is suddenly near the armchair. She is wearing special glasses, and is holding the huge knife. She is getting closer and closer to Maya's throat.
Maya opens the eyes, and notes her clone with the huge knife just near her throat.
The clone becomes suddenly a man, Alexander Hammid, Maya's husband. He's bowing towards Maya.
Then he is taking the stairs toward the bedroom. The bed is in a mess. Maya is lying under the quilt. The mirror that has been under the hood of the person dressed as a nun is lying now on the bed table. The man breaks the mirror and throws the parts through the window. A clone of Maya is watching for the parts of the mirror somewhere on a plain.
The man is again out, taking the stairs up to the house. The flower is lying on the stairs. The man is taking the flower, opens the door and goes in. There are newspapers in a mess on the floor. Maya is lying on the armchair. She's dead. Her throw has just been cut and blood is still flowing.

(video by Supercinema77)

(Maya's Song)