Walking on Water
Walking on Water
The timeless and mythical act of walking on water becomes a palpable reality through the work of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Walking on Water zooms into the ninety-seven-day artistic process leading to the grand opening of The Floating Piers (2014 to 16) on Lake Iseo, Italy. Conceived by the duo in the 1970s, the site-specific temporary public art project comprised 220,000 cube-shaped pontoons supporting a vibrant band of saffron orange that spanned three kilometres. The Floating Piers took more than three decades to realise and was completed only after the death of Jeanne-Claude. Underneath the work’s allure lies Christo’s quest for staging sublime art experiences that are free and open to the public, and the unwavering passion that underpins it.
About the Director
Andrey Paounov (b. 1974, Bulgaria) is a writer-director known for his non-fiction films. A graduate of the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria, Paounov addresses the region’s socialist past with absurdist humour. He has won multiple awards, including a Silver Wolf for his debut Georgi and the Butterflies (2004) at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and Best Documentary Feature Jury Award for The Boy Who Was a King (2012) at the RiverRun International Film Festival.
Image at top: Andrey Paounov. Walking on Water, 2018. Photo: Courtesy of Autlook Filmsales GmbH