Rebecca Odessa’s film work, developed during residencies and summer programs at institutions such as the Royal College of Art, the Berlin Art Institute, and the New York School of Visual Arts, reflects a quiet, observational approach. Eschewing conventional narrative, the films linger on atmosphere, presence, and the emotional weight of ordinary moments. Grounded in a contemplative sensibility, her filmmaking is slow, intimate, and emotionally precise—inviting viewers into subtle, often unspoken spaces of human experience.
My film practice emerges from the same contemplative impulse that drives my painting: a desire to witness, to observe closely, and to find meaning in quiet, often overlooked moments. Working with a documentary-poetic approach, I explore themes of chronic pain, death, grief, and the endurance of the body through time. These are subjects not easily spoken of—so I approach them visually, through atmosphere, rhythm, and gesture.
Unlike painting—which is solitary and self-contained—film is inherently collaborative. I value the shared nature of the process: the conversations, the compromises, and the moments of unexpected clarity that arise from working with others.
Talisman is a quiet, intimate film featuring the artist’s mother winding a red thread around a piece of white quartz—an object historically used as a grave good on the Isle of Man since the Neolithic period. As she works, her voice accompanies the image, reflecting on the realities of aging and the nearness of death. Part ritual, part portrait, the film captures a tender act of preparation: the creation of a talisman intended to guide or ensure a “good death.” Blending personal narrative with ancient symbolism, Talisman meditates on mortality, care, and the quiet power of handmade gestures.
Mortido is a slow, atmospheric meditation on the splendour and terror of mortality. The film presents the artist’s mother eating a pomegranate—an image laden with mythological and psychoanalytic resonance. Layered over the visuals is an audio reading from Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death, weaving together personal presence and existential philosophy. Through this intimate yet symbolic act, Mortido explores the tension between vitality and decay, desire and loss, inviting the viewer into a space where beauty and dread quietly coexist.
Northern Dippers is a playful homage to 1950s British Pathé newsreels, featuring a local group of wild sea swimmers on the Isle of Man. Shot with distressed film textures and accompanied by a clipped, mid-century British narration, the film captures the swimmers as they frolic in icy waters, blending humour, community spirit, and cold-sea camaraderie. With its tongue-in-cheek aesthetic and affectionate nod to a bygone era of documentary filmmaking, Northern Dippers celebrates resilience, ritual, and the enduring charm of the eccentric British pastime.