Water appears as a living element that does not flow freely, however, but appears enclosed in masonry. Possibly the artist is alluding here to the Emscher, which for decades was confined in a concrete corset. In the film, the Emscher reconstruction as a process of renewal of the battered landscape is related to acts of purification, like the burning out of toxic excrement in a pigeon loft. Flute players perform seemingly ritual acts that lead into a rhythmic and meditative sound level. Next to them are close-ups of a human dummy used in medical research with connected equipment and tubes, questioning possible instruments of a cure. This in turn could be seen as a parallel to the reconstruction of the Emscher system, which is being implemented by the Emschergenossenschaft with high-tech achievements.
The title »Suffusion of Yellow« refers to one of the oldest Chinese text collections, the »I Ging«, which is received as an oracle or wisdom book. The phrase translated into English as ›Suffusion of Yellow‹ suggests an uncertain or unpredictable future. The film also ends diffusely with the image of – ›domesticated‹ – water hitting the wall.