video nb et couleur, sonore, 6:00
Two teams of players armed with Paintball markers face each other, often in a wood, sometimes in an urban environment. They hide, run, shoot, devise strategies to free a hostage, hunt for treasure or simply retrieve a flag. These are the scenario versions of Paintball; life-size role playing games largely inspired by action films and science fiction. In donning his mask and camouflage gear, the player reinvents the postures of warfare, sliding into the role of a sniper, and really thinks he's 'IT'. So, Iraq and Big Games, same fight? The players say no. To them, the games are all about exchange and team spirit; an adult version of our childhood game of “Cops and Robbers” - recreation, a life-size re-creation of video games.
Brigitte Bauer