Video projection/monitor piece

I was awoken at about 1.00a.m. by the sound of an argument. A curtain-twitching glance revealed a passion play in full flow. My first reaction was anger at the interruption of my normal sleep pattern but, being a complete coward, and not prone to confrontation, I decided the best course of action was to video the proceedings.

The drunken verbal jousting did not last long; the female character left the scene soon after my surveillance began. What followed was totally unbelievable.

The male character slammed the door in anger as he returned to his bed-sit, I watched in amazement as he attempted to hang a net curtain. His emotionally and alcoholically charged action took on the feel of theatre. He hangs one end of the curtain then carefully climbs along the window sill to secure the other, as he does so the original fixing gives way. His actions, although happening in real time look too 'acted' to be 'real'. Was this scene being played out just for me?

After several months of chin scratching and conscience searching, I decided to investigate the theatricality of this event. A full size replica of the window. was constructed in my garden (directly opposite the actual window), an actor was hired to wear replica clothes and re-enact the events with the help of pre-recorded directions, help from my family was engaged and the resulting action was inter-cut with the original footage.

Initially the work positions itself in the realm of bad quality, hand-held, amateur surveillance. As soon as the viewer has accepted this reading, the context is dramatically shifted. Suddenly there is a jump behind the scenes, what is going on? Is this a real event or staged? Is that a set or a real window? Who are those spooky black-coated women, and what are they doing?