Farrago

Directed by Mike Hoolboom

In 1984, Mike Cartmell began Narratives of Egypt, a four-part series that deals with the father in Prologue: Infinite Obscure, the son in In the form of the letter “X”, the lover in Cartouche, and wraps it all up in Farrago, a word meaning: a medley, a heap of fragments. Using a speculative etymology, Cartmell “adopts” the American writer Herman Melville as his father, using selected passages to ruminate on death, language and paternity. Farrago remained incomplete when Mike died, this is my version of the closing chapter, which continues Mike's project of remaking Moby-Dick, and presiding over the unholy marriage of Egypt and Melville.