In Liza Johnson’s “In the Air,” females and males of all ages, shapes and sizes dangle from trapezes, do front flips, dance with no regard to form, and run up walls before flipping back and landing on their feet.
Johnson was inspired by watching these motions inside Cirque d’Art circus school, located in her hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. She put the circus school images and stories against the economically depressed backdrop of the town to make her film unique.
The 22-minute movie is being looped continually at the Wexner Center’s exhibition space for video, The Box, seven days a week through Nov. 30.
Two years ago, while visiting Portsmouth to research a future project, Johnson was invited to the circus school by teacher Pegi Wilkes.
Stepping inside the school, Johnson said she saw people from all over the county, including children from different school districts.
“They were super democratic people in a democratic environment. I saw really young kids mixed with adults just doing fun stuff with their bodies,” Johnson said.
After her visit, Johnson began to workshop ideas for filming in the school.
While teaching art at Williams College in western Massachusetts, Johnson made three different trips to the circus school.
“I went back to observe, meet more people, and work with everyone to find out what we all wanted to do before filming,” Johnson said.
The Wexner Center’s Art and Tech department loaned its 16mm camera and production equipment to Johnson for filming, which lasted 10 days in January.
“It was really cold, but we captured good scenes of ice floes on the Ohio River,” she said. “I don’t think there have been many images like those incorporated into films.”
Johnson said she edited for several weeks and returned to Portsmouth in March to complete the project after three more days of filming. A film editor for “In the Air” helped Johnson decide on a title.
“It’s about the atmosphere and the quality of what they do,” Johnson said. “What they do in the circus school is uplifting, but the physical actions in a circus aren’t always on the ground.”
The persistent economic challenges faced by many in the un-industrialized Ohio city and the struggles of adolescence were incorporated in the short film.
“It’s been hard times,” Johnson said. “There’s not enough work, and the area has been slammed by recent demographics of drugs.”
As for the future of “In the Air,” Johnson said she hopes for many viewings.
“They haven’t been announced yet, but we’re really excited for the film to be in some festivals,” Johnson said. “The film will also be shown in good venues across the U.S. and Europe.”
Johnson has a background in visual arts, and she specializes in short experimental film projects and instillation projects. Some of her work has been shown in New York, Berlin and Rotterdam Film Festivals.
Previous films by Johnson include “South of Ten,” “Desert Motel,” and “Good Sister/Bad Sister.”
Johnson said she admires the work of director Gus Van Sant and appreciates international film forms of realism.
The “In the Air” screening is free at the Wexner Center’s The Box video gallery until Nov. 30, and is showing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
