Language: No dialogue

  • Dissolving Forest

    “Dissolving Forest” enhances its subject as a dynamic living entity. Shot in a lightly foliaged forest, it consists entirely of tracking shots, using slow shutter speeds to create pigment-like smears and vibrant color. The location sound, sometimes ominous, places the seemingly bucolic locale near civilization. Visually, “Dissolving Forest” operates on three planes: the canvas-like background of the sky blown out to white, discernible forest in the middle ground, and foreground foliage reduced to streaming color-all tied together with frequent dissolves. As early spring progresses into the deep greens of late spring, “Dissolving Forest” becomes a painting evolving in its frame.

  • Ransom Notes

    The filmmaker’s response to her experience of the hijacking of her city during the Toronto G20 Summit, “Ransom Notes” re-appropriates language and meaning through the act of collage. The film combines new and old media (film, newsprint, print-outs of twitter feeds) to explore social mobilization through mass media. The soundtrack of the film was created by placing letters, words and sentences directly on the optical soundtrack. “We have your …” “The ransom note, in our collective imagination, is an interesting entry point to the politics of ownership, freedom and exchange value, made by transforming mass media (newspapers) content into a…

  • Rhythm 93

    A Pre-Raphaelite portrait of the visionary state as arising from nervous breakdown. Filmed in bitter winter in England’s bleak post-Thatcher years, using only natural light, the camera’s focus and exposure shift continually in a subversive riff on classical cinematic match-cutting. Perhaps something occurs, but what? Winner, Director’s Choice, Black Maria Film Festival (1994).

  • Rhythm 92

    “The square is the sign of a new humanity. It is something like the cross of the early Christians.” — Theo van Doesburg, upon greeting Hans Richter and Viking Eggeling in Klein Kolzig, 1920 Today’s visual imagery is split body from soul, images employed expressly for their representational value in a linguistic manner; form an afterthought. “Rhythm 92” reverses this, intermingling camera images with light, flare and color in an orchestration of pure form, foregoing meaning. (San Francisco)

  • Kino-i

    A cinematic self-portrait in two parts. In the first half, a half-silvered mirror was placed between the filmmaker and the camera. In the second, the mirror was removed. “Know that the complete secret of prophecy for the prophet is that he suddenly sees the form of his self standing before him, and his self forgets and becomes transported from him, and he sees the form of himself before him speaking with him and proclaiming the future.” – Rabbi Nathan, as related by Moses ben Jacob of Kiev in the Shushan Sodot, 1509.

  • 10-17-88

    Optically printed collage of found and archival footage, with audio collage by John Shaw. (Chicago) “You are never alone, because you are full of all the memories, all the conditioning, all the mutterings of yesterday; your mind is never clear of all the rubbish it has accumulated. To be alone you must die to the past. When you are alone, totally alone, not belonging to any family, any nation, any culture, any particular continent, there is that sense of being an outsider. The man who is completely alone in this way is innocent, and it is this innocence that frees…

  • Ocean Beach / Point Lobos I, II, III

    A short sketch in tide, wind, and spray paint. Part of Ross Lipman’s experimental documentary compilation, “the perfect heart of flux,” also available through CFMDC.

  • Afternoon in Bottle Village

    A requiem for a cathedral of light, built entirely of glass bottles, pencils, and industrial detritus by legendary California outsider artist Grandma Prisbrey from 1956 to 1981. The Village has long since fallen into decay, and is accessible by hopping a small fence. The spirit of Grandma Prisbrey is conjured from the ruins with an improv on broken piano by Jodie Baltazar (aka Monotrona). Part of Ross Lipman’s experimental documentary compilation, “the perfect heart of flux,” also available through CFMDC.

  • Self-Portrait in Mausoleum

    Refractions and reflections shot in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery: the half-life of death’s advance. Stained glass invokes the sublime in its filtering of light energy, a pre-cinematic cipher announcing a crack between worlds. “All the stars in heaven” radiate before expiring; the passing moment of a moment’s passing is the most elusive and hence the most beautiful. Part of Ross Lipman’s experimental documentary compilation, “the perfect heart of flux,” also available for distribution through CFMDC.

  • Crash Points 3

    “Crash Points 3” is based on “Crash Points,” a performance created by Peter Dudar during his partnership with dancer/choreographer Lily Eng. As Missing Associates, they were part of the experimental dance scene in art galleries during the 1970s and 1980s. “Crash Points” was essentially a non-competitive track and field event in which the perimeter of a gallery was used as a running track. Hurdles coming down (“crash points”) triggered interactions between the performers. “Crash Points 3” uses footage from two earlier “Crash Points” films-digitized and extensively re-edited. With contemporary video techniques, Dudar both re-interprets and enhances the performance.