Greer Clemens Collects 90 Toothbrushing Scenes in Films for Art Project

Australian writer and librarian Greer Clemens has compiled over 90 toothbrushing scenes from films and TV shows into an art project titled 'mantelpiece – sweet teeth'. The project began during Clemens's Honours in creative writing, where she explored the concept of 'the romance of being not in love'—finding romance in ordinary, unromantic situations. She noticed recurring toothbrushing scenes in films she loved, including 'Bring It On', Chantal Akerman's 'L'Homme à la valise', 'Chungking Express', and 'Carol'. Starting in 2018, she catalogued scenes in her phone notes, and in 2020, while stuck at home, she began recording and collecting the videos. Clemens deliberately avoids seeking out scenes, preferring to encounter them organically in films she naturally watches. She notes that directors like Kelly Reichardt, known for intimate and quiet films, often include such moments. The project is now a chapbook, and she is currently stitching the scenes into a supercut, which will be shown at an event organized by her mother. Clemens describes the project as a 'closed box'—a record of films she watched between 2018 and 2026. The story was featured in issue 133 of frankie magazine.