Echolalia

Echolalia is the meaningless repetition of words or phrases associated with forms of dementia and aphasia. In the build-up to the war in Iraq certain phrases were endlessly repeated to the point where these empty rhetorical phrases were confused with concrete facts. I tried to record as many instances of people repeating the phrase “weapons of mass destruction” as I could stand and represent these statements in a way that draws attention to the deadening effect of their repetition, however emphatically they are expressed.

Directed by Robert Arnold, Echolalia leans on a strong ensemble — George W. Bush, Ari Fleischer, John Ashcroft — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2003.