bonegarden

Operatic film-monodrama for coloratura mezzo-soprano, tenor, microtonal electric guitar quartet and electronics. 60 mins.

Revenge, love, virtual reality and social media. Bonegarden uses speculative fiction and the expanded monodrama form to explore trauma-porn, or the commercialization and abuse of traumatic experiences. Told through the perspective of Tameri, who in her rage discovers an online service that offers memory-infused VR experiences where the avatar of Helen Weber, a trauma victim, is used to play out the revenge fantasy of the client. This constructed multiplayer online server allows users to embody, live through, and act out experiences where they are able to commit their acts on others. In the monodrama the main character falls into this cycle and struggle with her feeling of being torn between the abusive nature of the technology and her need for self realisation in murder.

Premiered at MINU Festival for Expanded Music in 2024 by Loré Lixenber (singing in all tunings), Timo Tuhkanen (speaker and 19edo bass), Lauri Hyvärinen (19edo electric guitar), Mark Reid Bulatovic (22edo electric guitar), and Gon Muruaga (31edo electric guitar).

Actors in the film are Anna Saksman, Heikki Räisänen, Jesse Luostarinen and Hannes Mölsä.

Director of Photography Hannu Karjalainen.

Written, Composed, and Directed by Timo Tuhkanen.