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Elephant's Graveyard Films: Cecilia Condit
- Elephant's Graveyard
- Feb 22
- 3 min read
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Friendly Hello and Introduction!
Hello, hello, hello!! I hope you're all staying warm during this chilly week. :) I've wanted to write about Cecilia Condit's work for a while, especially because I just recently went through and rewatched all of her work. Most of you may not be familiar with her name, but I'm sure if you spent a lot of time on the internet, you'll know what Possibly In Michigan(1983) was; she's the creator! I'm absolutely in love with Condit's storytelling style and how she visually captures her work.
This blog aims to introduce her to those who may want to discover more of her work and include some beautiful imagery from these short films. I will link her channel below for those who are interested! According to Condit's channel description,
"I consider myself a storyteller whose work swings between beauty and the grotesque, humor and the macabre, innocence and cruelty. My videos explore the dark side of female subjectivity and address the fear, aggression, and displacement that exist between ourselves and society, ourselves and the natural world." - Condit.
As someone who is queer, non-binary, and AFAB, I do resonate with the feminist pieces she puts out, and Condit's portrayal of women and their experiences in a world of violence geared toward them is so beautifully crafted. I do encourage everyone to check out these films. I want to pay my condolences to the recently late Jill Sands, a good friend of Condit who had acted in three of her most popular films, Possibly In Michigan(1983), Beneath the Skin(1981), and Not A Jealous Bone(1987), called "The Jill Sands Trilogy," by Condit herself.
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Suburbs of Eden (1996)
Suburbs of Eden (1996)--"Is a portrait of a woman who can not see her way out of relationships that devastates her."- Condit.
When the story begins, there is a scene of a lawnmower cutting grass and a dedication to Condit's late father. This film tackles the nuclear family and the intertwining of violence, maternal burden/struggle, and paternal oppression.
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Not A Jealous Bone (1987)
Not A Jealous Bone (1987)--"An old woman finds a magic bone that she believes will let her live forever. Clutching it, she goes looking for her mother, hoping to share it with her." - Condit.
This story tackles the relationship between womanhood, motherhood, youth, mortality, and the fear of growing old.
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Beneath the Skin (1987)
Beneath the Skin (1987)--"A true to life horror story about, a woman's unknowing involvement in an unsolved murder of a young woman named Holly." - Condit.
I feel as if this story is the one that hits closest to home for me at least, and it hits harder knowing this is a real thing that had actually happened to Condit in her life. This film tackles violence and murder against women, domestic violence, abusive men, and the relationship between women and a common harmful man.
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About A Girl (2004)
About A Girl(2004)--"A young girl runs away with a dead rat who promises her a future together, so she won’t feel so inadequate just being herself." - Condit.
This story tackles the intertwining of self-esteem, girlhood, youth, maternal resentment, and feelings of belonging.
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Possibly In Michigan(1983)
Possibly In Michigan(1983)--"is a musical horror story about two young women who are stalked through a shopping mall by a cannibal named Arthur. He follows them home, and here, the victims become the aggressors. 'Animal Cannibal' was written for Possibly in Michigan by Karen Skladany, who also plays Janice." - Condit.
One of her most successful films, which was revisited on TikTok during 2018-2022, is a story that shows the relationship between women, violence perpetrated by men, stalking, friendship, victim blaming, and survival.
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Cecilia Condit's Channel
I genuinely admire Condit's work as a feminist, artist, and storyteller, and I would love to encourage people to discover more of her work! This is simply a short recommendation list.
Stay warm, everyone :)
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