Primal

Before the word, there is the scream. Before we argue, explain, justify, insult or pacify, there is the primal reaction, that physical utterance that comes from the gut, the heart or the soul. It is that most fundamental and unadulterated form of expression – and it is highly versatile, too. You can shriek with fear like a horror film scream queen, unleash a wail out of existential despair like the figure from the Edvard Munch paintings, or bellow in frustration like a soccer coach after a lost game. To a certain extent, the scream remains a taboo, because this kind of inarticulate howl can come across as violent. But this kind of animal aggression also feels delicious sometimes. That’s why in our everyday lives we are constantly consuming screams in the form of sports, computer games, pornography and news reports. explores the scream as a form of expression among Canadian and Argentine youth. They talk about their lives in short clips, and they’ve all got something to scream about – out of joy, sadness, rage or discomfort – whether restrained or with delirious abandon. The result is a long parade of screams great and small, with the viewer being invited to add his or her own as a building block for what will become an eternal scream.