Rukoushetki 2009

Directed by Eija-Liisa Ahtila

THE HOUR OF PRAYER is a short tale about attachment and death. It is based on the artist's own experiences. Via the events surrounding the death of a dog, it tells the story of death entering a house and the process of dealing with grief. These events begin in New York during a winter storm in January and end in Benin, West Africa, eleven months later. The first part of The Hour of Prayer retells a classical tale, in which the words and events explain each other and form a chronological progression. As the narrator speaks, words for time are prominent and images and sounds record the changes of season in various landscapes. The Hour of Prayer is made up of original material shot at the time of the events and of reconstructed situations.