Postcards to Alphaville

Created and edited by Paul Paper, Postcards to Alphaville features the work of a large group of talented artists and is a “love-letter to films and those characters that brings us, the viewers, moments of joy, sorrow and revelation and sometimes seems more real than the neighbor next-door.” The premise of this project made me think about the attachments that we develop to film characters. Having spent the last four years of my life researching and writing on the cinema of Wong Kar-wai, some of the characters in his films almost feel like a part of my extended family. And yes, writing a PhD does make you a wee bit…loony.

As I was looking through the diversely illustrated postcards, I was struck by a strange sensation of reacquaintance; characters from films that had been buried in the depths of my memory brought with them images, dialogue and moments that I had seemingly forgotten. However, what is particularly lovely about this project is that each artists’ projection of a specific character has a personal feel, offering other views and perspectives. For me, this is cinephilia at its best.

The featured illustrations are by Ana Albero, Peter Basden, Till Hafenbrak, Lisa Billvik, Jose Cardoso and Inés Estrada.

Danica