Give Me Pity! by Amanda Kramer seems like a famous celebrity-led variety special show that frequently appeared on American television in the 1970s or 80s. It features a 4:3 aspect ratio, fuzzy video screens, and occasional commercial breaks and is a mixture of dance, music, comedy, and monologues. However, the main character of this show is not Cher or Olivia Newton-John. It is Sisi St. Clair, who does not even look like a famous personality, and all of this is not a real show but a dreamlike illusion envisioned by a woman who grew up watching such shows. The show’s genre subtly transitions from a variety show to a multimedia project in the style of Laurie Anderson, then veers towards supernatural horror.
Give Me Pity! is an experimental film crafted from conventional elements of popular culture. Art and music with the campy artistic sensibility and brazen comedy captivate the audience while the film elevates the anxieties of modern women’s uneasy psyche into fragmented pieces of surrealism. Although one cannot expect Sisi St. Clair’s tormentor to be fully explained, it is not difficult to comprehend her anxiety and fear. Moreover, if you recognize the superstar aura around Sisi, you are not mistaken. Sophie von Haselberg, who plays Sisi, is the daughter of Bette Midler. [Djuna]