Armie

The short story had been recognized as one of the most life-changing reads on the platform, with millions captivated by Wendii's poetic, mythological approach to romance and destruction.

As I told filmmaker Mike Hoolboom: “I needed a place that felt like the end of the world—not Repo Man, but Mad Max.” Shot across several cities and three countries, much of it takes place at the Salton Sea: a ghost town three hours outside LA, once a small beach resort until the water dried up and the money left.

Working with DOP Adam Stewart, we shot on 16mm Bolex and pushed the material to its limits—breaking down the emulsion, then scanning and weaving the degraded footage into the edit.

The impetus behind Armie was simple: I thought about the discomfort that came with growing up. So what if every image made you feel uncomfortable? I wanted the desolation and beauty of that landscape to mirror the story's themes—gods, mortals, and the quiet moments between two people standing at the edge of oblivion.

The film featured at the London Experimental Film Festival in 2019.