The rhythms of a star system inspire a pianist’s transfixing performance

The cool red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, which is located some 40 light-years from Earth, was first discovered in 1999. Its seven known exoplanets, which are all close to Earth-like in size, were discovered in 2016 and 2017. In this video, the French American pianist Dan Tepfer harnesses what he calls the ‘unusually harmonious’ orbital ratios of these planets for a unique musical performance. He introduces the planets one at a time on his keyboard, with each body’s orbit captured in both the frequency and rhythm of the notes. As he plays, visuals of the star system and his accompanying improvisations swirl around the screen, making for a transfixing melding of art and science. For more from Tepfer, watch his work TriadSculpture.

Video by Dan Tepfer

The rhythms of a star system inspire a pianist’s transfixing performance | Aeon Videos

 

 

Three sisters craft a lyrical tribute to their mother from old family VHS tapes

The UK filmmaker Jay Stephen’s mother, Aju, had known her future husband for just seven hours before they were married in an arranged ceremony in India in 1987. At 22 years old, her life’s path seemed laid out without her input. Soon, she was pursuing the ‘great British dream’ in London, caught between identities as she adopted a Westernised look and tried to hide her accent. Her three daughters became the ‘three legs of a tripod’ used to stabilise the wobbly foundation of her marriage.

In the short film Brown Brit, each of these three ‘legs’ celebrates their mother’s love, sacrifice and, later, her brave decision to make her own path. For the work, Stephen and her filmmaking partner Ralph Briscoe, who together form The Romantix, repurposed 12 years of family VHS footage to tell Aju’s story. In the rich fabric of the work, these pixelated, colourful scenes function as powerful signifiers of private moments in time and place, while evoking the haziness of memory.

The images are paired with a lyrical essay by Stephen’s sister, Ashica Stephen, which conjures turmeric-stained hands and pashminas tied over Levi’s jeans as it describes Aju’s stifling life – and her ultimate decision to break free of it. The third sister, Deepica Stephen, provides an emotive voiceover and depicts Aju in the newly shot scenes that close out the film. An accomplished work of personal filmmaking, the piece is both a loving tribute to one mother’s strength and a powerful testament to the ripple effect of a parent’s choices across generations.

Directors: Jay Stephen, Ralph Briscoe

Writer: Ashica Stephen

Narrator: Deepica Stephen

Website: The Romantix

Brown Brit | Psyche Films