Elisabeth Subrin


The Caretakers


2006
HD, 18:41

A commission for The MacDowell Colony's Centennial Celebration, The Caretakers traces the unraveling of a writer as she begins a residency at a legendary artist colony, haunted by the aura of former artists who worked there. Stripped of her urban, career-driven preoccupations, Cleo finds herself unable to connect with the quiet new world around her. A chance encounter with a mysterious former housekeeper challenges Cleo's understanding of the interdependencies between art making, care-taking and love. Inspired by myths and memoirs of former MacDowell artists, Subrin's parable is an ode to the gift of creative space. Featuring Cara Seymour (Adaptation, Dancer in the Dark, American Psycho), with an original score by video/performance artist Wynne Greenwood (Tracy and the Plastics).

Selected screenings:
The 44th New York Film Festival, Lincoln Center, New York, NY
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
The Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH
The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC