Afleveringen
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Recorded live at Anglia Ruskin University, we are joined by filmmakers Neil Henderson and Andrew Vallance, as they discuss their "ways in" to experimental cinema as well as how closely linked Avant-Garde cinema is to more mainstream work. The speakers have each chosen a handful of films to discuss to illustrate their points as well as recommending others to the audience.
As this is a live recording, please expect some background noise.
This episode was made possible thanks to Simon Payne, who organised the event and who co-edited the book FILM TALKS: 15 CONVERSATIONS ON EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA. The book was the impetus for this episode and more live events are taking place throughout this year. The book can be purchased here: https://www.contactscreenings.co.uk/film-talks?fbclid=IwAR2wu99xcijw4Z2XCxn-wztLcgj5n_Z3SbtGo_nzFWz26i4XT2G3EV7WVvEArtists discussed in this episode include:
Stan Brakhage
Bruce Conner
Malcolm LeGrice
Ray Agony
Todd Haynes
Richard Kern
Francis Thompson
Oskar Fischinger -
Filmmaker Ding Xin, more commonly known as Sandy Ding produces extraordinary "psychoactive" films, which lull the viewer into states of altered consciousness to weave his very special kind of cinematic magic. In this in-depth interview, he discusses his filmmaking methods as well as his wide ranging interests in noise music and hypnosis. Sandy graduated from CalArts in 2007 and now teaches at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
A DVD of his films can be purchased from the Paris-based distributor Re:Voir.
https://re-voir.com/shop/en/revoir/766-sandy-ding-psychoecho.htmland some films, including his first feature Night Awake can be viewed via Re:Voir's VOD service.
https://vod.re-voir.comA selection of the films found on the DVD are also now available to view using the Re:Voir app, a subscription service boasting a huge selection of experimental films.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/online-re-voir/id1545131544 -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Filmmaker Emily Richardson joins us to discuss her highly atmospheric explorations of spaces and locations, many of which are in states of transition. Working both in film and digital video, Emily's works communicate a sense of immanence in often anxious atmospheres hinting at something just unseen at the periphery of our vision. These spaces are often "haunted" by soundscapes created by recording and manipulating sounds recorded on the locations.
For more information, visit emilyrichardson.org.uk
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Prolific filmmaker Nick Collins joins us to discuss his extensive body of film work. Shot in some of the filmmaker's most frequently visited locations, these are films that defy classification, despite the regular presence of landscapes and of carefully controlled structures. Simply put, we are in the presence of a filmmaker who explores the world around him and we are gently invited to explore with him. Extremely hard to label, Nick's cinema might even transcend the label of experimental film, with appeal far beyond what is sometimes described as a "niche" interest.
Nick's films can be found here: https://vimeo.com/user13647711
Or on DVD published by Simon Payne, from the BFI Store. https://shop.bfi.org.uk/five-greek-films-dvd.html
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Simon Payne
Yasujirō Ozu
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Anna Thew
Authors discussed include:
Gaston Bachelard
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Bret Battey is a composer and visual musician, who creates both electro-acoustic music together with digital moving image art. The films are as complex visually as the music is to listen to, but together they create an altogether gripping and captivating experience. Musically, Bret is influenced as much by the sweep of late romantic composers such as Gustav Mahler as he is by the granularity of Iannis Xenakis, or the 'organised noise' of Edgard Varése and a host of other more recent electro-acoustic composers. Visually, he works often by digitally manipulating photographs (which he has often taken himself) to create colourful abstract visualisations to compliment the music, working often from programming individual pixels into alluringly complex larger pictures. Here, he discusses the processes involved in creating both music and image for his artworks, as well as the lineage of visual music into which he fits.
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Oskar Fischinger
Jordan Belson
Norman McLaren -
The incredibly prolific Lynne Sachs returns to the show to discuss her films, particularly those found under the collective title "I Am Not A War Photographer". These titles include: States of Unbelonging, Which Way is East, Investigation of a Flame, The Las Happy Day and Your Day is My Night. We also discuss her films Film About a Father Who... as well as film as an act of civil disobedience. Many of Lynne's films can be found on her personal Vimeo page, as well as The Criterion Channel and, in the case of Film About A Father Who... on a new Blu-ray Disc.
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One of the leading figures in the field of experimental documentary, Lynne Sachs joins H2EEF to discuss her extraordinary body of work. In subjects ranging from the personal to the global political, Lynne's films are consistently sensitive and completely compelling. In this episode, she discusses the field of experimental documentary in general as well as her ways into the field.
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Jonas Mekas
MM Serra
Chantal Akerman
Robert Altman
Jean-Luc Godard
Sharon Greytak
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Larry Gottheim returns to the show to discuss some of his mid and late period works as well as the questions some of these films raise. It includes a discussion of how Larry found himself travelling to Haiti and becoming deeply involved with Voodoo as well as the deep self questioning that led to his latest films Chants and Dances for Hand and Knot/Not, both of which can be downloaded from the New York Filmmakers' Co-Operative Vimeo page. Some of the discussions travel to quite dark thematic areas and Larry will be discussing the problems, both intellectual and moral, of assembling the material for some of his films.
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One of the giants of the American Avant-Garde, Larry Gottheim joins H2EEF to discuss his life and work from his near legendary early films like Blues, Fog Line and Barn Rushes to his mid-period work (more recent work will be discussed in part 2).
The serenity and beauty of Larry's early films can be enjoyed in a DVD produced by the New York Filmmakers' Co-Operative and Re:Voir and more recent works are available via the NYFMC's on-demand Vimeo page.
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Stan Brakhage
Tony Conrad
Ernie Gehr
Hollis Frampton
Ken Jacobs
Jonas Mekas
Nicholas Ray -
Filmmaker Bill Morrison, whose work explores found and often decayed film footage, discusses his work and the nature of memory when contained in found footage. Broadly describable as documentary films, Bill's works have a hypnotic quality (his production company is even called Hypnotic Pictures!), which feature footage both from fiction and documentary films as well as home movies, scientific documentations and more. He recently collaborated with composer David Lang on the short film Let Me Come In for LA Opera as well as the feature film The Village Detective: A Song Cycle. His feature Decasia (in collaboration with composer Michael Gordon) was the first film of the 21st century to be entered into the Library Of Congress National Film Registry and his work consistently transcends the boundaries of the term "experimental", winning over audiences around the world.
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Painter who makes experimental films and experimental filmmaker who paints, Jeff Scher joins us to discuss his complete embrace of the term "experimental" across a rich and varied body of work including rotoscope animations and live action films.
A student of Adolfas Mekas, Scher also teaches animation at NYU.
Jeff has collaborated with musicians as diverse as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Graham Nash as well as winning a Creative Arts Emmy for his work on the HBO special The Tattoo on Great Grandpa's Arm.
Many of Jeff's films are available on 2 DVDs from Re:Voir https://re-voir.com/shop/en/
And more are available on his personal Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/user623597
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Kenneth Anger
Bruce Baillie
Robert Breer
Max Fleischer
Marie Menken
Warren Sondbert
Francis Thompson
Andy Warhol
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In a special extended episode of How to Enjoy Experimental Film, FOUR filmmakers gather to discuss one of their favourite filmmakers: Kurt Kren.
Nicky Hamlyn and Simon Payne have edited (with the late A.L. Rees) the first English-Language study of Kren's films, while Anna Thew, who has regularly programmed Kren's works for screenings, shares some stories of her own association with Kren and his films. Steven Woloshen, who lists Kren as one of his favourite filmmakers, starts the ball rolling with questions sent in specially for this episode all the way from Canada!
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Peter Kubelka
Rose Lowder
Michael Snow
Paul Sharits
Oki Hiroyuki
Tony Conrad
Peter Tscherkassky
Writers discussed in this episode include:
Annette Michelson
We also discuss the music of the Second Viennese School in relation to films by Kren and Kubelka, focusing on:Arnold Schoenberg
Alban Berg
Anton Webern -
Anna Thew returns to the show for a lively discussion of her film works, including Cling Film, which has been known to generate considerable controversy, particularly when shown in the UK. Much of the work, however is very personal and has universal appeal, whether humorous, or tragic. We'll also discuss broader themes connected to the films including the AIDS crisis and the role of arts in education.
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include
Luis Buñuel
Jean Cocteau
Takahiko Iimura
Kenneth Anger
Carolee Schneemann
Yann Beauvais
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Painter turned filmmaker Anna Thew discusses her first steps in filmmaking, leading to her feature film Hilda was a Goodlooker, which dramatises her mother's reminiscences and Behind Closed Doors, which deals with the trauma of losing her mother suddenly. Anna's cinema is deeply personal and yet possesses universal appeal, which will be approachable to audiences everywhere. Highly literate and indeed cine-literate, these are works that amply reward repeated viewings to explore their links to other works.
Find a selection of Anna's films on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user4605273
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Anne Rees Mogg
Rose Lowder
Peter Gidal
Malcolm LeGrice
David Hall
Chris Wellsby
Guy Sherwin
Marcel Duchamp
John Smith
Steve Farrer
Katerina Thomadaki
Maria Klonaris
Yann Beauvais
Cordelia Swan
John Maybury
Derek Jarman
Stan Brakhage
Kenneth Anger
Terence Davies
George Saxon
Writers discussed in this episode include:
Alexei Sayle
Walter Benjamin
Jean Genet
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Contains brief strong language.
Join film artist John Smith as he explores some of the major works of his career from his breakthrough film The Girl Chewing Gum, through documentary works including Blight and Home Suite, to his most recent works in the video medium including the Hotel Diaries, The Kiss and Citadel.
A number of John's recent films can be found on YouTube including Dad's Stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx2hPQ2S08k&t=25s
Several more films and excerpts are available on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/johnsmithfilms/videos
And there is a DVD box set available from Lux Online, for which 50% of all sales go directly to the artist: https://luxmovingimage.square.site/product/john-smith-3-dvd-boxset/70?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=10
John collaborated with composer Jocelyn Pook for the film Blight. Find out more about her work here: https://www.jocelynpook.com
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Peter Gidal
Nicky Hamlyn
Writers & Artists discussed in this episode include:
A.L. Rees
Cornelia Parker
Berthold Brecht -
Contains brief strong language.
Legendary London-based artist-filmmaker John Smith joins H2EEF to discuss the beginnings of his career leading up to his breakthrough film The Girl Chewing Gum. Smith's films are renowned for their sense of humour, often used to illustrate a more serious underlying point. His works are shown all over the world including, at the time of recording, on Mubi.
Popular with audiences everywhere, John's films are heavily informed by the notions of structural film, though they do not comfortably fit this, or any other description. With a deep focus on the power of language to suggest and mislead the viewer, "he has attracted admirers from way beyond the narrow confines of the Avant Garde."- Michael O'Pray, Art Monthly.
"In John Smith’s films, the spectator is a producer as well as a consumer of meaning, bound in to the process but simultaneously distanced from the ‘naturalness’ of the film dream. This feature alone marks off John Smith’s films from the lure of cinema (to which his richly visual images nonetheless allude) and locates him firmly as an artist-filmmaker, who turns the codes of the film medium into a continual questioning of film truth." - A.L. Rees (Full essay here: http://johnsmithfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Associations.-A-L-Rees.pdf)
A number of John's recent films can be found on YouTube including Dad's Stick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx2hPQ2S08k&t=25s
Several more films and excerpts are available on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/johnsmithfilms/videos
And there is a DVD box set available from Lux Online, for which 50% of all sales go directly to the artist: https://luxmovingimage.square.site/product/john-smith-3-dvd-boxset/70?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=10
Filmmakers discussed in this episode include:
Peter Gidal
Guy Sherwin
Anne Rees Mogg
Malcolm LeGrice
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Shifting focus from our earlier discussion, this episode focuses on Myron Ort's found footage films and film portraits. The epic 5 hour film cycle Eikono-Klastes is made up of found footage as well as hand painted film to create an enormous exploration of history and the moving image. It also includes re-contextualising of often very non-PC footage in order to create a new framework through which to view more difficult aspects of human history.
The whole cycle is viewable on Youtube here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUEvOLwEmGMdHLIky44ttSnKhYTLvrl-ZAnd you can view/purchase Myron's films and paintings on his website:
https://www.myronort.comFilmmakers mentioned in this episode include:
Bruce Conner
Joseph Cornell
Ken Jacobs
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Myron Ort, filmmaker, painter, musician, composer, repairer of antique cuban drums, restorer of vintage cars and expert on Latin-American music, talks to H2EEF about his unique film works. Spanning most forms of experimental practice and heavily influenced by the 60s psychedelic scene and Gestalt psychology, using hand painted film, multi-exposure films, film portrait, found footage and more, Myron's work is really deserving of a wider audience. In this first part of our discussion, we discuss the influences of the 60s Bay Area scene on the filmmaker's work and in particular his psychedelic films and the film that Stan Brakhage referred to as "the most worked on hand painted film I've ever seen!" OMMO.
You can find his wondrous array of work on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/myronort
On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ZenOkeanos
and on his own website, where you can buy his collected films on DVD along with his paintings!:
Filmmakers & artists discussed in this episode include
Barbara Hammer
Steven Zailian
Stan Brakhage
Jordan Belson
James Broughton
Bruce Baillie
Ben Van Meter
Chick Strand
Sidney Peterson
Wassily Kandinsky
Len Lye
Man Ray
Jean Cocteau
Standish Lawder
Fernand Leger
Harold Gregor
Donna Germain
Peter Kubelka
Writers discussed include:
Aldous Huxley
Hoyt Sherman
Rudolf Arnheim
Wolfgang Köhler
Siegfried Kracauer
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Filmmaker Toby Tatum joins H2EEF to discuss his extraordinary body of work. Tatum's work is a landscape of the mind, with pieces often set in gardens and grottos and featuring mind-bending visual effects, particularly involving composite imagery. Meditative, dreamlike and sometimes dark, these are unashamedly romantic film works that invite the viewer to participate in a completely unique view of the world.
View Toby's films at: https://vimeo.com/tobytatum
Figures discussed in this episode include:
Alex Cox
Borja Calvo
Erik Davis
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Simon Payne produces works almost exclusively with video, often without using a camera. In these video pieces, patterns work themselves out quite systematically, through colour and well-defined shapes to create unique cinematic experiences, which compel the viewer to reflect upon what they are seeing as well as their relation to it. Sometimes, these are frenetic and colourful, and other times, subdued and meditative, these pieces are shot through with a true spirit of experimentation, exploring what unexpected results might be produced by using shape, light and colour in various ways. In short, they are driven by a quest to see what happens!
Some of Simon's works can be found at his Vimeo page:
https://vimeo.com/simonpayne
And two DVDs of his works (Colour Field Videos & Systems Cinema) can be purchased in the Lux Store:
https://luxmovingimage.square.site/shop/dvds/10
Simon has also edited a number of books, most recently Fields of View, a posthumous collection of writings by A.L. Rees and the first English Language study of the work of Kurt Kren called Kurt Kren: Structural Films.
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