kamikaze
Directed by Ray Smiling
Produced by David Richards & Nick Stergiou
United States | English | 10' | Experimental
Knives, an aspiring photographer, becomes embroiled in the unraveling relationship of Max, a self-absorbed influencer, and his girlfriend Lily, a controlling fine art photographer during a beach photo shoot. As tensions rise between the couple, their relationship begins to unravel in front of Knives, who documents their crumbling dynamic through her lens. What begins as a glamorous shoot descends into jealousy, betrayal, and emotional conflict, all captured by Knives’ camera, leading to a bitter climax. While wrapped in a tantalizing shell of fashion imagery and melodrama, the film explores themes of ambition, power, and the performative nature of image in the age of social media.
Is it possible to get what we want without hurting others in the process? And for an artist — an idealist — does that sometimes mean taking yourself down in the process? kamikaze is a hyper-frenetic, poetic exploration of ambition, following Knives, a model and aspiring street photographer who would rather tell stories through her own lens than be defined by someone else’s frame. On a day when she’s the subject of a gritty ad campaign, she seizes an opportunity: a crumbling relationship becomes the backdrop for her boldest move yet. I watched kamikaze seven times on our FilmFreeway system. Every time, I uncovered something new. This film is hyper-intellectual. Nonlinear. Full of texture. A visual fucking delight. A cinematic treat. It's so smart, so fast-paced — I had to work to keep up, but in the best way. Ray Smiling’s POV is electric. His ideas live so far outside the box. I don’t want to miss a thing.
And neither should you.
-Erin Brown Thomas, Artistic Director
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