Independent animator Signe Baumane has directed multiple short films and two feature films, Rocks in My Pockets and My Love Affair With Marriage. Now touring the Pacific Northwest, My Love Affair With Marriage follows the misadventures of Zelma, whose 23-year quest for perfect love spools out against a backdrop of upheaval in Eastern Europe. Tackling the issues of gender norms, domestic violence, fantasies and toxic relationships, but always with a sly sense of humor, the film features jazzy musical numbers, including a show-stopper sung by Portland's own Storm Large.
S.W. Conser sits down with Signe to talk about filmmaking in Latvia and New York, her family's century-long history of severe depression, her love of philosophy and mythology, and the joys and challenges of being a working artist in New York City.
- KBOO