A powerful minimalist short examining gun violence in Chicago by director Andre Muir. “4 Corners” consists of five visual stanzas, each loosely based on gang killings committed around a four-block radius in the East-Rogers Park neighbourhood. Featuring all non-actors, each vignette is presented without context, identification, or any discernible dialogue to allow the issue to be absorbed at face value without picking sides or trivializing the causes behind the violence. In this way the film also mirrors how many people come to see and hear about these events — the sheer prevalence creating a troubling sense of monotony. As Muir explains:
“Chicago’s violence is so prevalent that it’s not even news anymore. Sure, we feel bad, but what do we do about it? We’ve become so numb that we treat each occurrence as just another news story, similar to the way we treat a viral dance video or trendy diet; we give it a second of our time and then move on. I wanted to treat the violent scenarios in 4 Corners in the same fashion in which we treat them in our everyday lives. Oftentimes in violent films, protagonists and antagonists are pitted against each other. This dichotomy can be problematic however, because in reality there are no protagonists and antagonists — only losers…. Throughout the film, the audience is exposed to repetitive acts of violence to the point of annoyance. If not for budgetary reasons, I would have wanted to add even more vignettes. I wanted to really draw out the tension and draw out the repetitiveness until my audience could no longer stomach it, to then ask the question ‘if you can’t stomach it on-screen why can you in real life?'”
Watch “4 Corners” above and check out some behind-the-scenes images below!
Directed by Andre Muir
Written by Jake Hutton & Andre Muir
Story by Andre Muir
Executive Producers: Mario DiPaolo & Cory Proctor
Producers: Ciara Medina, Mia Reggi, Zachary Moore, Cory Proctor
Cinematographer: Nathan Salter
Associate Producer: Emanuel Caston
Production Designer: Emily Schexnayder
Editor: Nathan Rodgers
Post Sound Producer: Adam Wiebe
Sound Design: Beto Santoyo
Composer: Colin Sipos
1st Assistant Director: Arturas Kerelis
2nd Assistant Director : Marcus Aubin
Color Producers: Dan Butler, Laurie Adrianopoli
Colorist: Mikey Pehanich
Casting Director: Jake Bloom
Casting Assistant: Anna McFarlin
Steadicam Operator: Blaine Baker
1st Assistant Camera: Brendan Babinski
2nd Assistant Camera: Juan Garcia
Quintero Location Sound: Andrew Henke
Costume Design: Nadya Laska
Art Assistant: Andrew Melzer
Art Assistant: Oriane Playner
Art Assistant: Anna McFarlin
Production Assistant: Brad Martin Production
Assistant: Gus Murray Production
Assistant: Rebekah Wilson Production Assistant: Kerri Walsh
Production Assistant: Brad Martin
Production Assistant: Justin Hill
Production Assistant: Nick Sansone
Gaffer: Danny Valdez
Best Boy Electric: Jake Joiner
Electrician Max Skelton
Grip: Jake Joiner
Grip: Ryan Zeller
Grip: Johnathon Blazewski
DIT: Sam Kelly
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