The film Social Anatomy (2016) shows a setting framed by a rectangular green and red fabric, employing symmetry, typical to Azerbaijani carpet patterns. The white tent at the center of the composition reminds the architectural settings for both weddings and funerals in the countryside. It is activated by a group-choreography composed from a compendium of rituals, movements and gestures typically performed during either weddings or funerals in Azerbaijan. The performers remain anonymous (only seen from top view) and symbolize the social fabric rather than individual personalities, much alike the representation of men in traditional Azerbaijani carpet practices. Through the use of a simplified and stilled top-view camera standpoint and by refusing the presence of sound, Ahmed evokes a large-scale living carpet.
Text byBjörn Geldhof