Mother’s Prototype: Envisioning Violence

Design challenge: The Levites massacre families with their swords

Master of Scenarios: 

We have a merciful tendency to abstract horrific violence 

God’s violence is often more sanitised than human violence 

These help us justify our indifference to suffering 

A blip on a screen or a puff of smoke on the horizon 

For the privileged, horror is a genre of entertainment 

Scenography (Sc.)

We watch a progression of violent visions, from abstract to realistic, e.g.: 

[a] Static, abstract, geometric line drawings 

[b] Animated line drawings 

[c] Slow frame rate from photographic simulation 

[d] 3D animated, but abstract imagery 

[e] Full motion simulation with practical effects

Master of Scenarios:

It’s time to open your eyes

I know you don’t want to

But that’s why we’re here

Music: Verdict

Audio player image

Sc.

You are with a family, huddled together, waiting to be slaughtered

As is common within dream

Sometimes you are watching someone

Sometimes you become that person

Sometimes there is no distinction

You all hear them coming – fathers, brothers, sons, neighbours – with their swords

A terrified woman kneels in front of you, begging for protection, for mercy

The Levite strikes her with his sword

She is still alive at your feet

Bleeding out and in agony

When he moves on to another victim

You cannot intervene – you are, after all, connected to your chair

You remain amidst the yelling, screaming, chaos and horror of the massacre

Master of Scenarios:

What have you to report?

Can you speak?

Can you type?

Sc.

Your fingers are rapidly pressing keys

You are struggling to breathe – you must first breathe to speak

You summon the wherewithal and with each exhalation you manage some guttural sounds

With each sound we see a sword entering or cutting flesh

And we hear sounds of what is politely called ‘distress’

You:

(Hyperventilating, struggling to form words)

Holy fuck

Master of Scenarios:

A perfect holy fuck

You:

Holy fucked by God

Master of Scenarios:

By God?

No, that’s a Levite – a priest

Your ancestor

Sc.

We pause the action and turn off the sound

We see the iconic image

Sword, thigh, penis (circumcised), blood

A Levite priest pausing between kills

A symbol of the massacre and human nature

Killing as strategy – predominantly, a male strategy

Now we see Moses standing on a rock ledge

In front of the Levite men with their swords

You:

What did Moses say to them?

What do you say to make men do that?

Master of Scenarios:

Let’s take a look

Bring up twenty-seven, please

Cue Moses

Moses:

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:

[Title Card]

Each of you put sword on thigh

Go back and forth

From gate to gate throughout the camp

And slay brother, neighbour, and kin

You:

Thus says the Lord

Master of Scenarios:

God of Israel

You:

Thus says the Lord

Master of Scenarios:

God of seven-year-old Jewish kids in Pennsylvania

Mother:

That’s not the story

Change the story to change the world

You:

How do I do that?

Sc.

Now you fly above the massacre, a flying dream, as if in a plane

You see the whole picture

This prompts critique and reflection