Above the Arroyo

Above the Arroyo: A Dream of the Stairs of Los Angeles drifts backwards down the hidden staircases of Los Angeles in a hypnotic and hallucinatory meditative adventure.

The encroachment of nature upon the city’s built surfaces, the variety of materials and design employed in construction, the mysterious essence of staircases, a sense of the passage of time, and the unexpected, quiet, and lonely beauty of Los Angeles are all themes explored over the course of this 80-minute tone poem.

Shot over the course of several months, filmmaker Russell Brown scouted more than 70 staircases, ultimately choosing 28 for their unique individual personalities and aesthetic qualities. Each staircase was then documented at a chosen time of day to showcase specific shadows and colors.He then employed a combination of horizontal and vertical stabilizing devices, as well as stabilizing filters, to create the drifting effect.

At select performances, composer and musician Tim Rutili — best known as the lead in influential rock bands such as Califone and Red Red Meat — will reinvent his original score using improvisational techniques while playing live. Similar to his performances at Sundance in 2010 (“All My Friends Are Funeral Singers”) and 2011 (“Here”), the audience will experience Rutili’s unique creative process, and the thrill of watching a score come to life as the film unfolds.