Summary:
From the minds who inspired AMC’s upcoming series Dispatches From Elsewhere, IN BRIGHT AXIOM weaves an intriguing cautionary tale about the unforeseen consequences of embracing the unknown. Welcome to the House of Latitude, where absolute discretion is demanded in exchange for entry into a mysterious social experiment in the form of an elaborate immersive experience. Drawing a community of curiosity seekers, this secret society becomes a way of life for some, putting increasing pressure on the organizers to maintain this sophisticated and fantastical parallel world.
The film also features never-before-seen discourse from the mesmerizing hip-hop polymath, RAMMELLZEE and original music by Justin Robbins, with additional songs from Isan, Tickles, and ü-Ziq.
IN BRIGHT AXIOM: DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
As a videographer, with a history of creating challenging installations and collaborating with creators, I decided early on to begin documenting the ambitions, construction and effect that creating and “ancient” secret society has on the present day world. One of the core tenants of the society was that of “Absolute Discretion,” which many of the members interpreted as absolute secrecy. In a world where we claim to value privacy, we are also a society that rewards a complete lack thereof.
What was The Latitude Society? That varies from person to person. In some ways it was created as a secret group of curious and creative minds brought together to explore embodied play. And to some, The Latitude Society persists as a legend as much for what it accomplished as for the epic scope of its failure.
Personally, in documenting the society on film, I hope IN BRIGHT AXIOM asks important questions about the rising value of embodied experience, the function of play in our adult lives, and how we can reclaim the fundamental aspects of ceremony and ritual from more insidious forces.
With deliberate absurdity and humor, the film proposes a vision of the world in which it is entirely possible to remain autonomous from an imposing monoculture, where we are granted the time and the discretion to fully engage in meaningful play. IN BRIGHT AXIOM holds the torch for a now defunct society that asked its members to truly give in order to become a part of a story greater than themselves.
