Finn Christian Peper Directs 'Objects of Desire' for Pedestal's Dear Maria Series

Finn Christian Peper wrote and directed 'Objects of Desire,' the second film in Pedestal's 'Dear Maria' series, in which he also served as cinematographer. The narrative follows a man after a heartbreak who retreats to a quiet waterside setting, bringing only his Pedestal TV stand, and spends his days alone with the object until a woman swimming in the ocean draws his attention. Peper shot the work on 16mm for its tactile quality and to slow the production process, a deliberate choice he says gives the film a timeless feel and a break from digital speed. He describes the product as secondary to the story, framing the film around how people attach themselves to objects through design, storytelling, or memory. Peper, who says he has long favored irony in his films, uses the absurd premise to question materialism and a culture of constant striving, adding that 'the best things in life aren't necessarily things at all.' He calls an object 'a silent passenger on our journey through life.' Cross-dissolves mark the shift in the protagonist's attention from the furniture to the swimmer.