The film starts with an opening title ‘US’ in grey writing with a white curtain as the background, once the text fades a female face, side profile, is introduced alongside an instrumental, hypnotic soundscape both fading in.
The female face blinks which introduces the same females body overlapping the face. Two images are shown at once, overlaying each other.
The face breathes and in slow motion clocks the camera and turns to face front on to the camera, this happens over a course of 2 and a half minutes moving in a clockwise direction. As the face is turning you begin to see that the face is crying.
While this face is turning to face front, the body begins to go through an inter turmoil reflected through movement. Turning, reaching, searching for something to ground her, the body fades in and out as the movement changes.
Moments of pauses and crouching interject the movement.
After 2 and a half minutes the face is covered slowly by hands as the female cries into them.
The body silently screams while the hands are over the face.
As the hands fall down to reveal the face again, the body stops screaming and regains composure before catching eyes with the camera for the first time. The body walks forward to cover the camera while the face fades to white.
Credits are displayed over the same white curtain which has been the background of the film, they read ‘Created and Performed by Jemma Stein’ and ‘Supported by Hayley Durward, Citymoves Dance Agency SCIO’
‘US’ is an Instant Dissidence micro-commission. The micro-commissions are supported using public funding
by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Additional support by CLAY (Centre for Live Art
Yorkshire), East Street Arts, and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.