X

Supposed Histories: “So This One Time, a Few Years Ago…”


June 12, 2013 | Andy Cush

Imagine, for a moment, that the next time you tell a story at a party, you’re unbound by silly things like “realism” and “the truth.” Sure, many of us are liberal with embellishments when spinning a yarn, but what if could make it up wholecloth? What kind of story would you tell?

That’s the question at the heart of Supposed Historiesa series of films from Mark Waites–who is essentially ANIMAL’s sugar mommy‘s sugar daddy–that asks subjects to simply tell a story about themselves that isn’t true, then records the results. Waites is quick to point out, however, that telling an untrue story is different from simply lying. “Everyone is given as much time as they need to think up their story, this isn’t a ‘who’s the greatest liar’ competition,” he told Co.Create“These are storytellers, not liars–there’s a huge difference. I wanted all the storytellers to interpret the project as they saw fit.”

What resulted is a series of engaging, often hilarious tales of zombies, weed-smoking old men, and cartoons about Nazi cats. Watch a few highlights below, and see the rest here.