A woman longs for connection through various virtual personas, in Tim Mattia's absorbing video for Sasha Sloan. In Lie, Sloan is rejected, unable to get a word or glance out of her real partner. So she heads online to different online chatrooms, and hides her true identity in favour of a custom-built character for different scenarios: a high school student one second, a gay man the next, whatever suits the conversation she is having. Furthermore, the people who she is connecting with are similarly not what they seem. Surprisingly poignant and emotionally affecting, the themes of isolation and the lack of purpose in our lives unfold beautifully, showing the characters on either side of the connection working out their own personal issues, finding solace in a make believe world. Tim Mattia's frequent collaborator DoP Justyn Moro uses the limited space available in each room to great effect, using practical lights to break up the darkness and shadow, whilst keeping a brooding and enigmatic atmosphere.
Rob Ulitski - 24th Aug 2020