Synopsis

An abstract performance film, shot in the Basement in Stepney, in which four men interchange roles for different sketches with the use of masks. The performance is based on variations and repetition of the same skit and same actions. The first part involves the four different men walking into a room, performing the same action of taking a photo, or picking up the landline telephone; once with a mask; next without. The next part of the film concerns various performances of the same skit with two different pairs of men.

In the skit, two men are sitting side by side. They discuss their various pedagogical approaches to teaching children collective responsibility. One person suggests locking them in a darkroom, while another points out the extremity of the action, considering the cost of the equipment in the darkroom. The next performance involves two different men in masks. They mime and re-stage the same debate and pedagogical dilemma of giving trust to children. The skit is staged a final time without masks, revealing the change in body language and subtle changes to the script.