Institute History
Description
Jude and Joy, a rock star and a model, escape from a rehab center and seek refuge in Joy’s bohemian Paris flat. Hiding from the outside world, they struggle to make sense of their lives through withdrawal, nourishing conversation, and food from “le pizza guy.” Composed of discontinuous scenes held together by clever intertitles and excerpts from Jude’s thoughts, each cycle of The Invisibles takes us one step further into the depths of these charismatic and moving characters. In the folds of white bed sheets, they share a wanton lust which alternately challenges and comforts their shaky identities.
Rendered in black and white with thoughtful attention to composition, much about this film is fresh and buoyant. Rarely does a movie set in one room pique the senses for a full two hours, but the pithy dialogue that scratches away at the conflicts between youth and insecurity, success and addiction make this an engaging and witty drama. The music underscores the emotional temperature of the lovers’ shared moments, ranging from hopeless to euphoric.
At its core, The Invisibles examines the pain and isolation that come with celebrity. Jude’s and Joy’s images are no longer their own, but the property of the media to be exploited and misrepresented to the benefit of their agents and business managers. They are noticed but not seen. They become famous and invisible. Honest and captivating performances by both Michael Goorjian and Portia de Rossi add yet-another dimension to this already-multilayered cinematic piece.
Noah Stern, Director
Noah Stern is a native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In January 1997, he formed ZhFilms, devoted to the writing, direction, and production of independent film projects. The first of these film, The Invisibles, was recently completed in conjunction with Zero Pictures. Stern teaches screenwriting in the UCLA writers’ program, where his pagan students worship like Kurtz in Heart of Darkness. He currently lives and incurs parking tickets in Los Angeles.