Francis Alys "Paradox of Praxiz 1" 1997, Walker Art Center

In the video by Francis Alys, I was moved by his decision to focus the entire length of footage on a melting block of ice. It made me consider that the subject of film can be relatively simple. Of course his film wasn't simply about ice melting, but a far greater meaning, one that is revealed to the viewer at the end with the quote, "Sometime making something leads to nothing." With no evidence left that the ice even existed in the first place, is the story leading up to that point worth telling? I think there is meaning in creating something for the sake of making it, not for what it will become. Alys follows the movement of the subject without the use of a tripod and covering what appears to be a lot of ground, varying the camera angles. He tells the story of a man and his ice block, focusing on the action of momentum, and a cause/effect type scenario. The shot of the water puddle and the children laughing  in the final scene adds a humorous and slightly innocent touch. A satisfying end to nothing.