The Last Sunrise, video documentation
Star Maris
April 18, 1996
Creative Access Description
Colour analogue video of a multi stage solo performance by a white woman with short curly blonde hair, striking features, and a powerful presence. She emerges from between two white backlit curtains wearing a white scoopneck evening gown and a headset microphone and stands on a balcony above the audience, to the sounds of shakers and woodwinds. At the edge of the balcony she delivers a poetic monologue on her dual gender identities and their harmonious and tumultuous interplay within her. She then descends the staircase to the audience while playing the fiddle and singing a bright folksy song 'The Last Sunrise' about her final day before transitioning into a woman. She is accompanied by two musicians below. When the song ends the lights dim and she delivers an intense and pained monologue about mental health over a sound effect of laboured breathing. One of the musicians, a white woman with a ponytail emerges from the shadows and helps the woman remove her gown revealing her strapless lacy black corset top and black panties. She dons a black skirt and black gauntlets as a mellow synth track plays. The track fades out and she begins a brash monologue about her love life over the musicians' sparse drumming and reverb heavy electric blues guitar riffs. She moves in a slow deliberate dance stretching and posing her arms and body as a the drumbeat and guitar solo builds, then begins to sing in a fiery wail and continuing her aggressive monologue, punctuated by shrieking rock vocals. The song builds to a final wailing guitar solo and breakdown and she takes a triumphant leap before the lights cut. The audience applauds and she joins hands with the two musicians, bowing and thanking the audience for attending.Description
Video documentation of Star Maris' performance The Last Sunrise.Identifier
1996.0418 THE V001Extent
1 VHS tape, 00:28:48Tape Number
96-001Language
Videographer
Mike MacDonaldEditor
Andre TardifArtist
Star MarisRelated program
The Last Sunrise (Related)In copyright. For uses outside of Fair Dealing please contact grunt gallery.