My Name is Oona

My Name is Oona is a short experimental film from 1969 directed by Gunvor Nelson and starring her daughter, Oona Nelson. This 10-minute film exists outside the realm of conventional storytelling — it is rather a personalized exploration of moods, rhythms, and a time in a young child's life.

The film primarily revolves around Oona Nelson, a girl of about eight or nine, and skillfully captures the whims, fantasies, and thoughts of her youthful innocence and exuberance. Gunvor Nelson intelligently adopts a minimalist approach and presents a portrait of her daughter's world in stark black-and-white tones, providing a thorough examination of her quotidian activities. By merging the simple lenses of childhood with the complex subjectivity of art and filmmaking, Nelson has achieved a rare harmony gently highlighting the ecstatic beauty of the mundane.

The audio-visual synchronization in "My Name is Oona" embodies an innovative approach towards filmmaking characteristic of the late 1960s avant-garde. The camera work is thoughtful and layered, often appearing subjective, contrasting extreme close-ups of Oona's face with expansive shots of the idyllic countryside she roams about. The shimmering lake waters, galloping horses, swinging tree branches are set against the protagonist’s repeated, fractured and echoed voiceover, "My name is Oona." This reiterated statement gradually transcends its literal meaning and transforms into a hypnotic mantra, a soundtrack that fuses with the visuals to construct an atmospheric, dreamlike aesthetic.

Nelson presents fragments of Oona's existence, embodying her wanderings, her bike rides, her observations, and the intricate details of her interactions with nature. Such scenes are carefully framed, often adopting slow-motion footage that further enhances the sense of dreamy and fluid movement. The film delivers a compelling blend of realism and fantasy, creating a memorably evocative and emotionally vibrant portrait of childhood and self-identity.

The sound design of "My Name is Oona," for which Steve Reich was responsible, is integral to the film's atmosphere. The repetitious, looped, and manipulated sounds meld with the visuals to create a disorientating but entrancing cinematic experience. The overlaying child’s chant, "My name is Oona," is coupled with the rhythmic cycle of whispered murmurs, shrill laughter, and occasional rustling of leaves, satisfyingly enhancing the film’s bewitching mystique.

"My Name is Oona" is a subjective venture into the realm of ‘pure cinema’, where frame compositions, movements within the frame, lighting, and sound constitute the 'narrative.' Nelson refuses to cater to mainstream conventions of plot, character arcs, or typical cinematographic techniques. Instead, she creates a film that disturbs and subverts traditional forms – offering an amalgam of impressions that echoes the fleeting, transient instances of childhood, as experienced and recorded by Oona.

In doing so, Nelson broadens cinematic conventions, celebrating the function of film as a mesmerizing fusion of sight and sound. She depicts the depth of a child's consciousness and perspective, untouched by the complexities of adulthood. The film essentially provokes viewers' introspection concerning the roots of identity and the process of self-discovery.

"My Name is Oona” is a captivating watch particularly for viewers who appreciate less mainstream, more abstract film styles. It gracefully reflects the rhythm and pace of childhood discovery while shedding light on the process of growing up from a child's view. Nelson's film phenomenology naturally raises questions about perception, reality, identity, and the innocence of childhood – paying homage to the transcendental wonder of being and becoming.

Post-viewing, the film leaves behind an undercurrent of nostalgia, gently prodding audiences to reflect upon their own experiences of childhood. Even though it is nestled in simplicity, the film stands out due to its experimental nature, telling an unconventional story of childhood and selfhood. The thoughtful amalgamation of aesthetics, sound, and rhythm suavely transcends the boundary of traditional storytelling, making "My Name is Oona" a landmark in avant-garde cinema of its time.