The Bell, the Digger, and the Tropical Pharmacy (2013)
This video was shot in a US-owned pharmaceutical plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico. It records the sounds and movements of a “sonic digger,” whose bucket has been replaced by a large cast-iron bell that destroys the interior of the building. The modified machine is thus transformed into a “counter-memorial” instrument that marks the occasion of the closure of this significant workplace, a site associated with progress and health. Through music, it excavates the historical connection between medicine, sickness and cure, and the neocolonial framework of US-Puerto Rico relations embedded in the very fabric of the building.
Director: Jennifer Allora, Guillermo Calzadilla
Runtime: 21 min
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Jennifer Allora, Guillermo Calzadilla
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is The Bell, the Digger, and the Tropical Pharmacy about?
- This video was shot in a US-owned pharmaceutical plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico. It records the sounds and movements of a “sonic digger,” whose bucket has been replaced by a large cast-iron bell that destroys the interior of the building. The modified machine is thus transformed into a “counter-memorial” instrument that marks the occasion of the closure of this significant workplace, a site associated with progress and health. Through music, it excavates the historical connection between medicine, sickness and cure, and the neocolonial framework of US-Puerto Rico relations embedded in the very fabric of the building.
- Who directed The Bell, the Digger, and the Tropical Pharmacy?
- The Bell, the Digger, and the Tropical Pharmacy was directed by Jennifer Allora, Guillermo Calzadilla.
- How long is The Bell, the Digger, and the Tropical Pharmacy?
- The Bell, the Digger, and the Tropical Pharmacy has a runtime of 21m (21 minutes).