experimental cinema analysis

• Film Theory

What is Experimental Film — History, Examples & Movements

W hat is an experimental film? This elusive and niche genre can be difficult to define, and there are many common misconceptions about experimental filmmaking, but we’ll be sorting through the fact and the fiction to provide a comprehensive overview of what it means for a film to be “experimental”. We’ll get started with a definition, then dig deeper into experimental filmmaking as a genre, and finally close things out by taking a look at some notable examples.

Avant garde film definition

First, let’s define experimental film.

There are many film terms and phrases that could use simple definitions, and we’ve compiled them all in our ultimate guide to filmmaking terminology . You can also look up definitions for every genre of film in our ultimate guide to movie genres .

EXPERIMENTAL FILM DEFINITION

What is an experimental film.

An experimental film is a project bucks the trends of conventional cinema and pushes the medium of film in unexplored ways. The spectrum of experimental films is extremely broad; this genre encompasses a great many types of projects of varying lengths, styles, and goals.

There are experimental feature films, though more experimental projects have shorter runtimes. This is due in part to many experimental films being made for low budgets and/or the fact that the majority of experimental films are never intended for mainstream appeal or traditional distribution.

AVANT GARDE FILM CHARACTERISTICS

• Can be any length
• Niche and often artsy
• Pushes boundaries and tries new things

Experimental filmmakers

Digging deeper into experimental film.

Let’s dig a little deeper into what it means for a project to be classified as an experimental film. There is a modicum of debate over what exactly constitutes an experimental film, and some projects blur the line between traditional cinema and experimental filmmaking by including elements of each. Experimentation can be found in the editing, in the filming, in the subject matter, or in the manipulation of the camera and celluloid’s chemical and mechanical processes.

A beginner’s guide to experimental cinema

There are many misconceptions about what experimental filmmaking is, so let’s dispel a couple. One common belief is that experimental films have no story. While some experimental films certainly lack anything that could be considered a traditional narrative, that does not hold true for all experimental films.

Another commonly held notion is that experimental films are weird for the sake of being weird or that they are simply filmed nonsense. This is quite a reductive stance to take on the entire genre, but it is an opinion shared by many. The audience for experimental films can be extremely niche, and experimental filmmakers are aware of this. They are not made for everyone.

Surreal = experimental is another common misconception. Containing an element of surrealism does not automatically make a project experimental in nature. However, there is an intrinsic linkage between surrealism and experimental cinema, so the misconception is understandable. Let’s clarify this point with an example.

Sexy Beast  •  dream sequence

This dream sequence from the gangster flick Sexy Beast is undoubtedly surreal yet there is nothing experimental at play. The surrealism is conjured through traditional filmmaking means only. So, while surrealism and experimental cinema often go hand-in-hand, surrealism alone is not enough to constitute a film being labeled as experimental; the filmmaking methods and the pushing or warping of boundaries play important roles as well.

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The history of experimental cinema

Experimental filmmaking over the years.

Since the first camera was invented , artists have been experimenting with the tool. At the dawn of cinema, everything was an experiment. It was only through the intervention of time that certain techniques and methods became standard.

While many of the techniques used in Voyage dans la Lune seem antiquated by modern filmmaking standards, they were absolutely boundary shattering way back in 1902. Radical experimentation was necessary to pull off so many things that had never before been seen or created in the medium of film.

A Trip to the Moon

As cinematic techniques improved and became seen as standards, there were still filmmakers willing to experiment and push the envelope. 1929’s Un Chien Andalou was an early masterpiece of both surrealism and experimental filmmaking. Many of the techniques used in Un Chien Andalou were experimental at the time but have since been integrated into more standard filmmaking techniques as the decades have passed. Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel were two master surrealists and played an important role in the common linkage between surrealism and experimentation through their boundary pushing methods.

Un Chien Andalou

By the 1940s, surrealism and experimental filmmaking were further linked through the work of Maya Deren. Over time, she has proven to be one of the most influential experimental filmmakers of all time. She created a number of experimental short films, the first of which, Meshes of the Afternoon , is often credited as a turning point for experimental and avant garde cinema. The short remains a highlight of the genre more than 70 years after it was first released.

If you are interested in making your own short films, check out our how to make a short film guide first.

Meshes of the Afternoon  •  Maya Deren

Andy Warhol is a name well known in the pop art world, but he made numerous contributions to the experimental film world as well. Warhol made nearly 150 experimental short films throughout his lifetime, and a number of them made throughout the 1960s were considered important contributions to the form. Below is a compilation of six of Warhol’s shorts made between 1964 and 1966.

Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests

David Lynch is perhaps the most well-known filmmaker to consistently experiment in his films. He earned a spot on our list of the best directors of all time . Some Lynch projects explore a blend between experimental cinema and traditional filmmaking, while other Lynch projects comfortably fall into the “wholly experimental” category. Since his debut feature in 1977 with Eraserhead , Lynch has continued to employ experimental techniques in his feature films to this day. A significant degree of Eraserhead’s experimentation can be found in the atmospheric sound design . Listen closely to the trailer below.

Eraserhead  •  trailer

Now that we’ve explored a brief history of experimental filmmaking, let’s see if we can sort experimental films into a few distinct categories.

Experimental film examples

Types of experimental films.

Though experimental films in general can be a bit difficult to categorize as they defy convention by their very nature, there are a few common types we can examine from a bird’s eye view . The first type is: experimental films that challenge the form of filmmaking . This includes projects that defy the expectation of what a film is and manipulate the creation process, like Stan Brakhage’s Dog Star Man .

Dog Star Man  •  complete

This piece of experimental filmmaking was originally produced as four shorts before being compiled as a singular project. Dog Star Man is often hailed as an experimental masterpiece and was made through various manipulations to the film stock, experimenting with different exposure types, and radical editing techniques.

Another film that lands in the “challenges the form” category is Derek Jarman’s Blue . This one-hour-19-minute experimental film features just a single, unchanging visual for the entire duration: a solid blue screen. An intricately orchestrated audio track underscores the static visual, and the two combine to form a highly emotional experience.

Blue  •  Derek Jarman

Our next type of experimental film is the experimental documentary . Check out our list of the best documentaries to set a baseline for traditional documentary filmmaking before we jump into the experimental side of the genre. This experimental category encompasses projects like the nearly century old Soviet-produced Man With a Movie Camera . The full documentary is available to watch below.

Man With a Movie Camera

Another experimental documentary found in this category comes from none other than Orson Welles with For for Fake . This documentary, essay-film hybrid blurs the lines between fact and fiction in a fascinating way.

F for Fake Video Essay

Experimental Animation is a tried and true category of experimental filmmaking with many worthwhile and envelope pushing entries. Again, you can set a baseline for the non-experimental side of this genre by checking out our list of the best animated films ever made . As for the experimental side of the medium, first, we can return to David Lynch for his contribution to the category.

Six Men Getting Sick

The above short film, Six Men Getting Sick , was David Lynch’s very first foray into filmmaking. He began his journey into the arts as a painter, and you can see him bridging the gap with this painted filmmaking experiment.

For further examples of experimental animation, we can look to the Quay Brothers. Their shorts utilize a dreamy blend of stop-motion animation and puppetry. A number of their shorts are in the criterion collection; here is a highlight reel for four of their shorts.

Criterion teaser for the Quay Brothers

And for one last example of experimental animation found in a recent film, we can look to 2018’s German-Chilean production La Casa Lobo . Sculpture, stop-motion, traditional animation, and other artistic techniques were blended together in jaw dropping fashion that utilized life-size sets and dizzying camerawork. This experimental production pushes the boundaries of animation and accomplishes things never before seen in the medium. It gives the absolute best stop-motion films a run for their money.

The Wolf House  •  trailer

Experimental filmmaking remains alive and well in the modern filmmaking age. As long as there are boundaries left to push, filmmakers will continue to experiment.

What Was Dogme 95?

If you’re interested in experimental filmmaking, the Dogme 95 cinematic vow of chastity makes a fascinating case study into a radical filmmaking experiment. Learn about the movement, why and how it was created, the films that comprise it, and more, up next.

Up Next: What was Dogme 95? →

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By Amelia Ames

April 17, 2017

After MoMA's Bruce Conner retrospective this past summer and the Whitney's celebrated "Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art" survey, experimental film finally seems to be back on the New York art world's agenda. But for a long time, film was the thorn of art history after that thing called "Hollywood" came along, which threatened the avant-garde film's separation from mainstream cinema.

Experimental or avant-garde film can be traced all the way back to canonical artists like Marcel Duchamp and Many Ray , but what happens post-Hollywood? Here's a quick guide to postwar experimental film in the United States, ranging from Expanded Cinema of the '60s to the origins of underground queer cinema with artists like Jack Smith. We've got the critics and the crucial texts you need to read (each essay has been linked) and the artists you need to know.

Expanded Cinema of the '60s

Critic to Know: GENE YOUNGBLOOD Seminal Text to Know: Expanded Cinema (1970)

Gene Youngblood was a crucial theorist of media arts and alternative cinema during the 1960s and '70s. He was the first to consider video an art form, folding computer and media art into the genre. His seminal book Expanded Cinema was the first to define one of the most heterogeneous movements in film history. As you can probably guess from term, “expanded cinema” refers to cinema that expands beyond the bounds of traditional uses of celluloid film, to inhabit a wide range of other materials and forms including video, television, light shows, computer art, multimedia installation and performance, kinetic sculpture, theater, and even holography. Mixing psychedelic consciousness and Marxist theory, Youngblood explains “when we say expanded cinema we actually mean an expanded consciousness.” So if you’re still confused after seeing Stan Vanderbeek’s immersive psychedelic Movie Drome (1965) at the Whitney’s Dreamlands exhibition this year, take a look at the first chapter of Youngblood’s Expanded Cinema (the entire book is available on the PDF link above).

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Stan Vanderbeek, Carolee Schneemann , Malcom Le Grice, Mark Leckey

Found Footage Film

Critic to Know: CRAIG BALDWIN Seminal Text to Know: From Junk to Funk to Punk to Link : A survey of found-footage film in San Francisco Bay Area

Any narrative of postwar experimental film has to begin in California. Reacting against the expansion of Hollywood, experimental film was, in essence, a form of cinema that radically opposed the aesthetics and politics of mainstream media. The rise of psychedelic light shows, beatnik films, and alternative outdoor venues like Canyon Cinema (a filmmakers cooperative started by Bruce Baillie that exhibited independent, non-commercial film) all lead the Bay area to become an epicenter of avant-garde film in the second half of the century. Experimental filmmaker Craig Baldwin’s essay “From Junk to Funk to Punk to Link” is a must-read for anyone interested in a short genealogy of found footage film, seen in likes of Bruce Conner and Gunvor Nelson's work. A pioneer of found-footage himself, Baldwin remains in San Francisco to this day where he continues to program content for Artist’s Television Access, which broadcasts art films on Public-access television. For more on experimental film in the Bay Area click here to see the Berkeley Art Museum’s catalogue, “Radical Light: Alternative Film and Video in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1945-2000.”

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Bruce Conner , Craig Baldwin, Robert & Gunvor Nelson, Chick Strand

Structuralist Film

Critic to Know: PETER GIDAL Seminal Text: "Introduction" of Structural Film Anthology (1976)

Structuralist or Materialist film is what Minimalism was to sculpture in the 1960s. In his paradigm book Structural Film Anthology (1976), English theoretician and filmmaker Peter Gidal writes frankly that "Structural/Materialist film attempts to be non-illusionist" in its attempt to "demystify the film process." Structuralist film, like Minimalist objects, doesn't actually represent anything. Instead, it exposes the relations between the camera and the way an image is presented, and explores the characteristics specific to the medium—spotlighting elements like flatness, grain, light, and movement. Tony Conrad's film The Flicker (1966), exemplary of the movement, consists purely of rapidly alternating black and white frames, achieving a kind of strobe light effect. If you're hesitant to submit yourself to the full fifteen minutes of Flicker (we don't blame you), then take a look at Gidal's introduction in the Structural Film Anthology to get a better idea about what this strange movement was really about.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Tony Conrad, Hollis Frampton, Michael Snow

Feminist Film

Critic to Know: LAURA MULVEY Seminal Text: Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975)

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist, currently teaching film and media studies at Birbeck, University of London. Drawing from psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, Mulvey’s seminal essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975) was crucial in inaugurating the intersection of film theory, psychoanalysis, and feminism. Mulvey was the first to term what has come to be known as the “male gaze.” In the essay, she argues that classic Hollywood cinema inevitably positioned the spectator as a masculine and active voyeur, and the passive woman on screen as object of his scopic desire. The essay challenged conventional film theory and paved the way for an entire era of feminist artist’s work on the male gaze (think Cindy Sherman’s Untitled film stills.). After reading “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” you’ll never look at a Hitchcock or John Wayne the same.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Peggy Ahwesh, Barbara Hammer, Laurie Simmons

Camp & Queer Cinema

Critic to Know: SUSAN SONTAG Seminal Text: "Notes On Camp" (1964)

Susan Sontag was one of the most revered writers, filmmakers, political activists, and critics of her generation. Sontag wrote extensively about photography, culture and media, AIDS, and the Vietnam War. Sontag’s most well known essay, “Notes on Camp,” is crucial for anyone interested in the legacy of queer filmmakers like Jack Smith, who is most known for his banned film Flaming Creatures (1963) that right-wing politician Strom Thurmand mentioned in anti-pornography speeches. Although Sontag does not define camp, she writes that the essence of a “camp” sensibility lies in “its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” For anyone interested in the kitschy, exotic films of Jack Smith and underground Queer Cinema, Sontag’s “Notes on Camp” is a must.

ARTISTS TO KNOW: Jack Smith, Andy Warhol , Isaac Julien

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A Critical Guide to Understanding Experimental Film

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Weird and Wonderful: How Experimental Film Narratives Can Inform Interactive Digital Narratives

• Conference paper
• First Online: 27 October 2020
• Cite this conference paper

• Chris Hales 11  

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12497))

Included in the following conference series:

• International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling

2366 Accesses

2 Citations

An analysis is made of historical experimental films in order to determine if alternative models and techniques of narration are in use that may inform current and future creators of interactive digital narratives (IDN). An overview of experimental film leads to five case studies chosen as being of most relevance to narrative: these discuss works by Deren, Greenaway, Frampton, Markopoulos and Rybczyński. All these works predate the establishment of digital and interactive technology. Characteristics of verticality and repetition, spiral structures, ‘interlexia’ transitions, voice-over disjunction, trance narratives, multiscreen and multilayering, and the use of equations and set theory to determine the form of the film, are shown to be of potential interest to IDN.

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Customising the Interactive Film

Introduction

Research into Interactive Digital Narrative: A Kaleidoscopic View

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Hales, C. (2020). Weird and Wonderful: How Experimental Film Narratives Can Inform Interactive Digital Narratives. In: Bosser, AG., Millard, D.E., Hargood, C. (eds) Interactive Storytelling. ICIDS 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12497. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62516-0_14

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How Maya Deren Became the Symbol and Champion of American Experimental Film

In revolutionary moments, time seems to accelerate, and changes usually marked out in decades take place in a matter of months. There’s a special, melancholy tinge to the fate of those who were themselves at the forefront of the very revolutions that left them behind. (Elvis Presley comes to mind.) That’s the story told in “Maya Deren: Choreographed for Camera,” Mark Alice Durant’s new biography of the filmmaker (published by Saint Lucy Books), and it’s thrilling and terrifying. It’s the tale of an artist who, in the mid-nineteen-forties, in the span of four years, by the age of thirty, remade her artistic world—drastically and definitively. Despite, or thanks to, her youth, she nearly single-handedly put experimental cinema on the American cultural map, and also became its iconic visual presence. Then, just as quickly, she fell out of that world, never to return in her too-brief lifetime. She died in 1961, in poverty and obscurity. She fulfilled the destiny detailed by Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his 1835 story “Wakefield”: “By stepping aside for a moment, a man exposes himself to a fearful risk of losing his place forever.” A woman, even more so.

Deren was born Eleanora Derenkowsky in 1917 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her parents were Jewish, prosperous, and educated. (Her father, Solomon, was a doctor; her mother, Marie, had studied piano and economics.) After the October Revolution, her father was conscripted into battle with Bolshevik forces, and Eleanora and her mother endured illness and poverty at home. The family snuck out of the country in the early nineteen-twenties and made their way to Syracuse, New York, changing their last name to Deren. In 1930, Marie, who was unhappy in the provincial city, took her daughter to Geneva, where the precocious girl was acclaimed as a poet by her classmates and also became an enthusiastic photographer. Three years later, mother and child returned to Syracuse; Deren enrolled—at sixteen—at Syracuse University, where she and another student, Gregory Bardacke, a Communist and a football player, fell in love. They married in 1935, he graduated in 1936, and they moved to Greenwich Village, where he became a labor organizer and she, in the midst of her last year of college at N.Y.U., became a Socialist activist. She left Bardacke (they soon divorced), entered Smith College for a master’s in English, and then returned to New York. In 1939, while employed as an elder writer’s secretary, Deren eventfully pursued an obsession.

As a woman in her mid-twenties, Deren was an artist without portfolio, endowed with a poet’s imaginative flamboyance and a photographer’s sense of visual composition, to which she added an activist’s revolutionary fervor, aptitude for advocacy, and organizational practicality. She became fixated on Katherine Dunham, a Black dancer (working on Broadway and in Hollywood), the founder of a dance company, and an academically trained anthropologist. Deren, as Durant notes, was already deeply devoted to the art of dance, even though she had no training, and she more or less imposed herself on Dunham as a secretary and assistant. In 1941 and 1942, Deren travelled with Dunham and her dance troupe throughout the United States. (Durant reports that, in their travels together in the Jim Crow South, the blue-eyed Deren—who had a mighty mass of curly red hair—was taken for Black or of mixed race.)

In 1942, while in Hollywood with Dunham, Deren met a filmmaker named Alexandr Hackenschmied. Born in 1907 in Linz and raised in Prague, he became, in his early twenties, a pioneer of experimental cinema in Czechoslovakia. In the late nineteen-thirties, he worked on a pair of crucial anti-Nazi documentaries, and left the country soon before the Nazi invasion, making his way to Los Angeles, where he was promised work. He was an acclaimed cameraman and still photographer; he and Deren quickly fell in love and married. (Soon after he and Deren met, he changed his name to Alexander Hammid.) Living on the margins of Hollywood, they went to movies, thought about movies, met filmmakers, and got inspired. In early 1943, Deren’s father died and left her a small sum of money, with which she bought a movie camera, a 16-mm. Bolex . That summer, she and Hammid made a fourteen-minute film, “Meshes of the Afternoon,” on a budget of two hundred and seventy-five dollars.

So far, so good—the very essence of movies is to be the art for artists who don’t have an art. Deren was not quite a dancer, untrained as an actor, but endowed with charisma and temperament, craving not so much to be seen as to be recognized, turning her tumultuous private social life into a kind of performance. “She would do almost anything for attention,” Dunham said. “She felt that she was physically irresistible. She would work like a bee to get noticed, shaking around, carrying on. She went after anybody including someone who belonged to someone else. She worked at it. I think sex was her great ace. I liked her curiosity, her vivaciousness. She was alive. I liked her bohemianism—she had no hours. Any hours were all right, just like mine.”

Deren was an avant-garde version of Lana Turner (a young non-actress who was discovered at the counter of a soda fountain), but Deren was ready not to be discovered but to discover herself, by way of a movie that she would make. Like the brightest stars of classic Hollywood, Deren was both too much and too little an actress to ever be anything onscreen but herself. She was exactly the kind of personality and performer, of limited technique but hypnotically photogenic, for whom the cinema was made. Her mere presence beamed onto the screen her vast inner worlds of emotion and intellect.

Deren, who conceived “Meshes of the Afternoon” (Hammid, who did the camera work, credited her as the film’s artistic creator), is its main actor. Though she repudiated any connection of her work to Surrealism, “Meshes” is at least a work of unrealism—of fantasy that explicitly links its action to dreams and imagination. (Regarding Deren’s academic literary studies, Durant writes that “her research on the Symbolist and Imagist poets gave her foundational language on which she would rely, at least intuitively, when she approached filmmaking in the early 1940s.”) She rejected Hollywood in toto, and allowed the dime-store macabre of B movies to infiltrate her sensibility. In “Meshes,” a woman falls asleep at home and imagines an episode involving multiples of herself, a recurring slippage of her house key out of her mouth, a flower that she finds in the street, a knife that she finds on the table, a black-shrouded figure with a mirror for a face, and Hammid himself, who comes home, sees one of the Derens in bed, and approaches her with a tentative eroticism. Then Hammid comes home again to discover the gruesome aftermath of violence.

The hectic distortions and special effects that Hammid created give the movie its mind-bending intensity, whereas Deren’s presence gives it its allure and its personality. (For the purposes of the movie’s credits, Deren took the name Maya, and kept it, onscreen and off.) She certainly didn’t invent experimental cinema, nor introduce it in the U.S., but, with this short silent film, Deren became the genre’s Orson Welles , realizing her own original ideas by a fruitful collaboration with an experienced cinematographer (as Welles did with Gregg Toland) and putting those ideas over by way of onscreen star power. She became the name of avant-garde cinema by becoming its face: a still of her, at a window in “Meshes,” is, to this day, the prime iconic image of American experimental filmmaking, the single-frame synecdoche for the entire category. Yet, unlike Welles, who made his movie fame when he was hired by a studio that then released his film, and when critics recognized his originality, Deren created “Meshes” in the absence of institutional, organizational, or even intellectual frameworks—which she took upon herself to construct, too.

In 1943, Hammid was hired by the federal Office of War Information, in New York, to make documentaries, Durant writes, that supported the war effort. The couple left California for Greenwich Village, renting a fifth-floor walkup apartment at 61 Morton Street (where Deren lived for the rest of her life). Deren was quickly introduced to high artistic circles through her work as a portrait photographer for magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair . She made a film with Marcel Duchamp (which she never finished), and, in the summer of 1944, she made another film of phantasmagorical imagination, “At Land.” Where “Meshes” ends with Deren as a bloody corpse, “At Land” begins with her body washing up on a beach—alive, as it turns out. Deren pulls herself up on a hefty bit of driftwood and, peering over its edge, finds herself in a banquet room, at the long table of a dinner party, where she crawls on the tablecloth between the cheerful and unfazed guests. The movie also has elements of erotic fantasy, as when she strolls with a man who turns out to be four different ones (including Hammid and the composer John Cage ), she follows Hammid into a cabin and instead finds yet another man there in a bed, and—back on the beach—she stumbles upon two women playing chess and joyfully caresses one player’s head. In “At Land,” Deren more conspicuously acts, with a newly athletic, choreographic element. Her performance is full of overtones of other performers: her puckish sidelong glances evoke Katharine Hepburn; and, when she over-earnestly and campily strains in her physical tasks, she brings to mind Bette Davis. (While filming on the beach at Amagansett, Deren chanced to meet Anaïs Nin, and they quickly became friends.)

Deren, whose coterie had expanded to include many in the downtown artistic beau monde, became a major socialite in bohemian circles, turning the couple’s apartment into a center of parties and gatherings, and her connections proved galvanic. Durant quotes from Nin’s diary regarding the force exerted by Deren among the Village culturati: “We are subject to her will, her strong personality, yet at the same time we do not trust or love her wholly. We recognize her talent. We talk of rebellion, of being forced, of tyranny, but we bow to her projects, make sacrifices.” Nin cites “the power of her personality” and notes “her determined voice, the assertiveness and sensuality of her peasant body, her dancing, drumming; all haunted us. We spent a great deal of time talking about her.” In a frenzy of creation and organization, Deren seemingly ordered the world around her, at least for a crucial moment, to fit into a pattern of her own design.

With no extant theatre for the kinds of movies she was making, she held private screenings at home and, eventually, a midtown art gallery. In April, 1945, she made another film, “A Study in Choreography for Camera,” featuring the dancer Talley Beatty, also a Dunham alumnus, and it attracted attention in the world of dance. “Strangers and vague acquaintances stopped her in the street asking how they might see her films,” Durant writes. Later that year, she sought to distribute her films, contacting museums and universities, writing a sales brochure called “Cinema as an Independent Art Form,” and taking out a print ad in a sophisticated literature and art magazine named View .

The lightning bolt in this primordial soup of Deren’s avant-garde celebrity came on February 18, 1946. She had rented the Provincetown Playhouse, a West Village theatre, for a screening of her films on that evening, and, as Durant details, she promoted the hell out of it. She edited a brochure with blurbs from notables (including Nin) and a short essay of her own, papered the Village with handmade fliers, and extended personal invitations to major critics. “The evening sold out in a matter of minutes, leaving hundreds on the street milling about in frustration,” Durant writes. “Deren’s films were, for weeks, the talk of the Village, even those who were turned away had an opinion about what was seen that night.”

Among the audience at the Provincetown Playhouse was a twenty-four-year-old Austrian Jewish immigrant named Amos Vogel , who said that the event made him recognize “a new kind of talent” in filmmaking, “an individual expressing a very deep inner need.” The following year, Vogel and his wife, Marcia, founded a film society called Cinema 16, which launched its screenings at the same theatre and, in the nineteen-fifties and early sixties, was New York’s prime venue for non-Hollywood, independent, experimental, and international movies. (Vogel was also one of the founders of the New York Film Festival, which was launched in 1963.)

Deren’s accomplishments in the realm of experimental cinema were knit into the wider phenomenon of the Second World War as a peculiarly powerful real-time engine for artistic transformation in the U.S., from Abstract Expressionism conquering art galleries to bebop surging in jazz clubs. Abstraction, complexity, and vehemence came to the fore during the war and just after its end, a time when realities were so appalling as to be all but unrepresentable, when much of the worst was still unknown but loomed in forebodings, imaginings, hints, and rumors, and when, in a short and terrifying span, the Holocaust became known and nuclear war became a reality.

In 1945, Deren filmed another silent short, “Ritual in Transfigured Time,” the last of her films, as Durant notes, in which she appears. (She completed it after the first of the 1946 Provincetown Playhouse screenings; it premièred on June 1, 1946, and she showed it throughout the year, to warm acclaim.) The film is centered on the dancer Rita Christiani, a former member of Dunham’s dance company, whom Deren, in her script outline, considered, for the purposes of the film, “the same person” as herself. The film begins with Deren bearing a skein of yarn and, with forced gaiety, recruiting Christiani for its winding (as Nin looms in the background). Deren’s performance is arch, hectic, more artificial than stylized—her efforts at acting are exaggerated and flat, as if she were trying and failing to put herself over.

However, “Ritual” contains a nearly four-minute sequence of ingeniously conceived and thrillingly crafted stylization, which I consider the most fascinating scene that she ever filmed—and it’s one in which she doesn’t appear. It’s a party scene, shot in her own apartment, featuring the literati and glitterati of her circle (including Howard Moss, then the poetry editor of The New Yorker ); it’s also Deren’s modern-day filmed adaptation of Antoine Watteau’s painting “ The French Comedians ,” from around 1720, which she’d seen at the Met. The scene, featuring about thirty people and centered on Christiani’s efforts to connect with the other guests, is filmed in slow motion; the framings emphasize the layering in depth of the revellers’ comings and goings, and Deren evokes their cold-hearted conviviality with keenly discerning and precisely imaginative direction. (She instructed them, “When you hail each other, hail with your palm up.”) As Durant observes, “In Deren’s edit, shots and gestures are rhythmically repeated, elevating casual movements into the realm of the choreographic.”

The sudden success that Deren seemingly willed into being also brought on a classic case of “be careful what you wish for.” Six weeks after her Provincetown Playhouse triumph, she was awarded a Guggenheim grant, with which she financed a trip to Haiti. She had been interested in that country, and its religious rituals, since her time alongside Dunham; from late 1946 to mid-1947, her intellectual and personal relationship with the anthropologist and filmmaker Gregory Bateson sparked her quasi-ethnographic ambitions to make a film there. (Deren and Hammid divorced in 1947. Her relationship with Bateson ended in disaster—he snuck off to Germany without telling her.) Her three trips to Haiti occupied much of her time—nineteen months—through 1950. (Between trips, she made another short dance film, “Meditation on Violence.”)

Along with her furious repudiation of Hollywood formulas, celebrity worship, and commercialism, Deren also rejected the prevailing notions of documentary filmmaking. Documentary, she complained, lacked art and imagination; she envisioned nonfiction filmmaking, of the sort that she was undertaking in Haiti, to be as creative as the fantasies that she filmed at home. In a notebook, she described her desire to film a street scene in Haiti—“the passings, the crossings, the meetings and greetings”—as “a piece of music not haphazard at all but rhythmic, with motifs and developments, a fugue form where each individual is pursuing his own destiny.” She wrote, in 1946, that “for more than anything else, cinema consists of the eye for magic—that which perceives and reveals the marvelous in whatsoever it looks upon.” In Haiti, Deren befriended Haitians and immersed herself in the religious rituals of vodou, but—judging from a posthumous assemblage of her footage—she neither fulfilled her vast ambition for creative nonfiction nor offered an illuminating reportorial depiction of what she was experiencing. She wrote a book, “ Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti ,” about her travels, but she never completed her film. Durant suggests that she left the film unfinished on “ethical” grounds, regarding the uses and abuses of the visual representation of a religion and a culture that was neither hers nor that of most of her likely viewers. And, in any case, Durant adds, she didn’t have the money to finish it.

By the time Deren had put those journeys to rest and returned to Morton Street as her steady base of action, the scene of avant-garde, independent, nonnarrative filmmaking that she advocated had quickly caught on, in Greenwich Village and beyond—but in ways that she disliked. Instead of an impresario, she became an embittered rival to her successors. With her detailed written scenarios, her careful visual compositions, and her contrapuntal schemes of editing, she characterized her work as “films in the classicist tradition,” but much of the movie scene that she’d inspired was far more freewheeling in method, substance, and tone. She was openly critical of other avant-garde filmmakers, even while remaining collegial, and encouraging, in practice; in the mid-fifties, she established an organization, the Creative Film Foundation, to channel small amounts of grant money to experimental filmmakers. She became friends with a young filmmaker, Stan Brakhage, whose films she didn’t like but whose creative spirit she admired. (He knocked on her door to pay homage to her; she put him up for several months.) Another fervent advocate and practical-minded activist for experimental cinema, the critic and filmmaker Jonas Mekas , came to the fore of Village life, including at the Village Voice ; she judged his work harshly, but they nonetheless collaborated in the promotion of experimental films.

Deren’s last decade was a depressing decrescendo. She’d started using Benzedrine to fuel her long days and nights of activity while travelling with Dunham, and kept with it afterward. In New York, she took frequent “vitamin” injections, which likely included amphetamines, from the infamous Dr. Feelgood, Max Jacobson (who also treated John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, and many other household names before losing his license in the seventies). She had severe health issues (in 1954, she had major surgery for an abdominal hemorrhage and peritonitis) and serious money trouble; she refused to take a regular job. “Because of her sometimes-difficult nature,” Durant writes, Deren’s social life and her artistic activities, which were so closely connected, narrowed. “There were few left in her New York circle who were willing to subject themselves to her demands.”

Deren and her partner, the composer Teiji Ito, who became her third husband in 1960, were threatened with eviction and faced real hunger. Her dispute by mail with her landlord was epic and obsessive. Meanwhile, she turned to her mother to pay her utility bill, and she literally asked friends for food. Her last completed film, “The Very Eye of Night,” which transformed live-action footage of the choreographer Antony Tudor’s student dancers into animation, was shot in 1952 and finished only in 1956. Owing to legal issues after its producer’s death, the film didn’t show in New York until 1959, at which time it made hardly a ripple. Deren died on October 13, 1961, of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Durant’s book itself, twenty years in the making, bears the illumination of fanatical research and passionate empathy for—practically an inhabiting of—Deren’s inner world. The book’s one crucial lack is notes: footnotes or endnotes. Durant offers fictionalized sequences, the biographical equivalent of reënactments in documentaries, but doesn’t identify them as such, and leaves the sourcing of events and descriptions unclear. For instance, extended narrations and detailed descriptions of crucial scenes in Deren’s life, such as the Hollywood party where she and Hammid met and the Morton Street party at which he decided to leave her, have the feel of literary compositions—persuasive and moving ones—but I found myself wondering which details were Durant’s inventions and which were nuggets emerging in correspondence, notebooks, interviews, or elsewhere.

Paradoxically, the most exciting and absorbing drama that emerges from Durant’s book isn’t, as one might expect from the life story of a crucially significant filmmaker, the behind-the-scenes efforts that went into the making of Deren’s movies. Rather, it’s Deren’s miraculous transformation from a private do-it-yourself artist to a public figure, and then a historic one—from an outsider, working at home, to the spokesperson and the heroine not only of her own cinematic venture but of the entire form of cinema in which she worked, for which she advocated, and that she established as a prime art form of her time.

By achieving worldwide recognition for films that she made on her own, with family and friends, on trivial budgets, she spurred generations of experimental filmmakers to follow in her footsteps; their films then found a home in institutions that she’d helped bring to life. As for the specific influence of Deren’s artistry, it radiated outward in many directions and inspired a wide range of avant-garde filmmakers, such as Shirley Clarke (who began her career with highly aestheticized dance films), Yvonne Rainer (who filmed personal psychodramas), Mekas (who built his first feature around disjointed, B-movie-like fantasies), and Barbara Hammer (who derived from Deren’s work a radical feminist cinema). The most conspicuous, and perhaps the most significant, adaptation of Deren’s far-rangingly associative yet meticulously composed fantasies may well be in the movies of David Lynch .

Deren’s completed films are home movies, made mainly where she lived; that fact stands at odds with their nonrealistic pursuit of what she called “inner realities” and “the laws of the invisible powers.” In throwing out the bathwater of Hollywood commercialism, she also threw out the baby of narrative. “I could move directly from my imagination into film,” she wrote—and so she did, with hardly a trace of her lived experience. Her imagination was fertile, but her wide-ranging life was a veritable engine of stories that seemed ready-made to be put on film, with a first-person imaginative inventiveness of a sort that would hardly be found in Hollywood. Deren’s relentless quest for what was extraordinary about her inner life came at the expense of what was already extraordinary in her outer one. The first craving aroused by her silent films is to hear the literal sound of her voice.

But Deren’s prime achievement reaches even beyond her artistry, her personality, the filmmakers she inspired, and the institutions she fostered. Above all, she both championed and embodied the idea that movies were art and, indeed, the art of the time. The high-art audience that she galvanized for her films—the audience that then filled the seats at Cinema 16 and devoured Mekas’s column in the Voice —would soon be ready to see the high art of movies in places where Deren didn’t, in Hollywood films. It took another batch of independent filmmakers—the young French critics who then became the filmmakers of the French New Wave—to export Hollywood successfully from Paris to Greenwich Village (and another Voice critic, Andrew Sarris , to broker the import). But the downtown ground had been prepared by Deren. The careers of the American independent filmmakers who rode that new wave—whether the ones who made it to Hollywood, such as Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma , or the ones who didn’t, such as Juleen Compton and Peter Emanuel Goldman—would be unthinkable without hers. ♦

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Love Letter to Pioneers of Avant-Garde Moviemaking

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By Nicolas Rapold

• Aug. 2, 2012

With the loss of several admired avant-garde filmmakers in the past few years, “Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film” arrives as a welcome paean to the unfettered, resourceful creativity of its subject. Despite the scope of the title, this friendly, colorful documentary from Pip Chodorov is not the last word on all the shapes, sizes and languages of experimental film, but rather an introduction brightened by a companionable enthusiasm and an apposite sense of community.

In Mr. Chodorov’s boyish telling (which begins with a home movie), experimental cinema is open to anyone with the urge to make stuff and the willingness to put aside artistic assumptions and profit. You don’t need a story, or even people, as the pioneering Hans Richter demonstrated with the shifting rectangular abstractions of his 1921 animation “Rhythmus 21.” Mr. Chodorov’s documentary takes its name from Len Lye’s “Free Radicals” (1958), which depicts white lines boogieing and swaying to Bagirmi tribal music. It was created through scratches made directly on film, presaging work by Stan Brakhage.

The filmmakers who articulate the notion of artistic freedom and their methods include Richter, in clips from the early 1970s; Robert Breer, who died last year; Brakhage, eloquent, soon before his death in 2003; Jonas Mekas, the Anthology Film Archives artistic director and creative ambassador; and the inimitable Ken Jacobs , who self-mockingly recalls his youthful ambition to “capsize” the United States.

The Austrian filmmaker Peter Kubelka explains the rhythmic precision of his metrical editing, and grabs a beer with Mr. Mekas, with whom he helped spearhead Anthology in the late ’60s. Stan Vanderbeek’s forays into computer-generated film at Bell Labs and M.I.T. in the ’60s and ’70s show the avant-garde as technologically ahead of its time.

All evince an inspiring independence and tenacity, but Mr. Chodorov’s focus could use greater historical coverage and a richer variety of visual examples. The East Coast wins out a little too handily over Los Angeles and San Francisco, let alone contemporary scenes elsewhere. Graphical coups tend to push out psychological, found-footage and other adventures in perception, and the short shrift given to certain voices is puzzling and arbitrary.

Nonetheless, Mr. Chodorov, who also makes and distributes films, gathers this extended family of “free radicals” with an accessible joie de cinema.

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Pushing Boundaries: The Role of Experimental Films

In the realm of cinema, experimental films stand as a unique and daring genre, pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling and visual expression. These films, characterized by unconventional narratives, avant-garde techniques, and innovative use of visuals and sound, play a vital role in challenging audiences to expand their understanding of the cinematic art form.

Page Contents

• 0.1 Embracing the Unconventional
• 0.2 Innovation in Visual and Soundscapes
• 0.3 A Platform for Artistic Expression
• 0.4 Challenging Audience Perception
• 0.5 Nurturing Emerging Filmmakers

Embracing the Unconventional

Experimental films thrive on the unconventional. They defy the norms of linear storytelling and challenge traditional filmmaking techniques. Directors of experimental cinema often explore non-traditional narrative structures, fragmented storytelling, and abstract visuals to create a cinematic experience that transcends the ordinary.

Innovation in Visual and Soundscapes

One of the defining features of experimental films is their commitment to innovation in visual and soundscapes. Directors and cinematographers in this genre leverage non-traditional camera angles, editing techniques, and special effects to create visually striking and thought-provoking compositions. Similarly, sound design in experimental films goes beyond conventional norms, often featuring avant-garde soundscapes and non-linear auditory experiences.

A Platform for Artistic Expression

Experimental films serve as a powerful platform for artistic expression. Filmmakers in this genre use their creations to convey abstract concepts, delve into the depths of human emotions, and explore societal issues. By breaking away from conventional storytelling, experimental filmmakers can communicate complex ideas through the language of cinema, inviting audiences to interpret and engage with the content on a deeper, more personal level.

Challenging Audience Perception

The role of experimental films extends beyond the creative process; it challenges audience perception and fosters a more active and engaged viewing experience. Viewers are prompted to question traditional norms, embrace ambiguity, and interpret the film’s meaning through their own unique perspectives. The open-ended nature of many experimental films invites discussions and interpretations, encouraging a more participatory relationship between the film and its audience.

Nurturing Emerging Filmmakers

Experimental films also play a crucial role in nurturing emerging filmmakers. The genre allows aspiring directors and creators to break away from conventional storytelling constraints and explore their unique voices. Film festivals and independent platforms often provide a space for these experimental works to be showcased and celebrated, fostering a community of artists who are unafraid to challenge the status quo.

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How to Talk Experimental Film: A User’s Guide

As a medium, film is unique because it captures life in a way that cannot be captured through other forms of art, like painting or photography. Film is able to represent time, its duration, and motion, which brings it the closest to capturing life itself. Even the most conventional, mainstream film or video is able to accomplish this captivating feat. (If you beg to differ, notice what happens when there’s only one moving image in the room.) Experimental films not only capture or represent life, but also challenge the form and content of filmmaking and its conventional patterns, in order to provoke and, at its best, transcend how we compose our lives on and off-screen.

So what qualifies as experimental ?

A video opens with a unique score of digitally-manipulated industrial sounds mixed with a distorted version of a familiar pop tune, the 1997 teenage anthem, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. A jaundiced character with glowing cat eyes giggles in the pitch of a crazed raccoon. She drives happily through cyberspace, looking in wonder at the digital snowflakes floating across the screen. That’s the opening of Ryan Trecartin’s 2007 “ I-Be Area (Pasta and Wendy M-PEGgy)” . Or how about the genre-bending and taboo-ignoring film “ Palindromes” by Todd Solondz? The conceptual film centers on a 13-year-old protagonist named Aviva (notice, her name is a palindrome), who is played by eight different actors of varying races, ages, and genders. The film is a dark, fearless, and unblinking look at teenage sexuality through multiple voices and vantage points: a fragmented look at a modern-age identity crisis.

Within the broad genre of experimental film, there emerge at least two different types of players: filmmakers who experiment with form and narrative content, and artists who use film or video as a medium through which to express their vision. This distinction between filmmakers and artists is not to say that filmmakers can’t be considered artists, or that artists can’t be considered filmmakers. In fact, the lines are not always clearly defined. I myself struggle with how to identify myself: filmmaker or artist (or both)? And in reality, my primary mode of identification varies depending on the particular context.

However, it’s important to understand that experimental film isn’t a simple or singular catchall. There’s a spectrum of people who create experimental films for different reasons. The results are excitingly diverse and varied and for that, The Independent thought it would be helpful to check in with someone working in the medium, me, for an introductory grasp on terms and definitions:

EXPERIMENTAL FILM

For me, experimental film is essentially a broad stroke or umbrella term for moving images that explore the human condition, nature, or fantasy in ways that haven’t been traditionally explored before. “Experimental film” includes a wide range of works, from a video performance of a heavily made-up woman smearing her face on a pane of glass (Pipilotti Rist, “ Be Nice to Me “) to Wes Anderson’s “ Moonrise Kingdom “. These are films in which filmmakers and artists are experimenting with the form (think jump cuts, overlays, the use of text on screen, films that use both animation and live-action) or content. Let’s keep in mind that most filmmakers aren’t experimenting the way scientists are, with the use of the scientific method that we all learned back in our middle school days. But we do know that they’re playing with (some quite methodically and others more freely) and therefore expanding the genre. Their intent isn’t to continue in the way mainstream films have been made. Instead, they want to challenge it.

Of course, the scope of experimental film is quite broad. Some films dabble in experimentation, with one camera angle or a topic that’s taboo or unconventional. Other films really push the boundaries, so much sometimes that we can’t even really decide if it is a film or not.

AVANT-GARDE FILM

I’m probably not alone in thinking of art critics in a gallery with affected intonations when I think of the term “avant-garde.” The term itself, before it was applied to art, was a military term that literally means “forward guard.” It described the soldiers on horseback that led troops into battle. They were on the front line of troops to go out and face the enemy.

Forgive the metaphor, but avant-garde filmmakers are those original soldiers on horseback. They’re first. They’re fearless. And their films usually aren’t well received by the general public. Avant-garde films are wholly experimental, pioneering films: films that after you’ve seen, you turn to friends and ask with wide eyes, “What was THAT?” These are the types of experimental films that a lot of people have a hard time digesting. They can be confusing, strange, grotesque, and purposefully disjunctive. And that’s okay. Because avant-garde films aren’t crowd-pleasers. The filmmakers creating those works know that.

It is important to note that “avant-garde film” was a term first used to describe Dadaist and surrealist films of the 1920s. A film that’s still widely regarded as one of the most avant-garde films in history is Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí’s 1929 film, “ Un Chien Andalou “. The film opens with a man causally sharpening a straight razor on a piece of wood. Wagner’s powerful, imposing score drives the action forward. Cigarette smoke unfurls as he concentrates on his task, glancing at the moon. The man opens the eyelid of a calm woman and slices her eyeball in half with the straight razor. The moon is temporarily spliced in half by the horizontal movement of a stray cloud. The woman’s eye spits out a gelatinous substance.

In the 21st century, we hear all the time that in art, “nothing is new.” As an artist, I can’t (and won’t) wholeheartedly agree with that statement. However, I will acknowledge that as modern filmmakers or film viewers, we have a relatively long history. If I were writing this article in the 1920s, I could give you tons of examples of what’s called “avant-garde film,” and every film would be shockingly novel. It’s a little harder now: as a society, we have seen more films, we reference more films, we pay homage to more films, and we borrow from more films. So, it’s important to also consider that avant-garde is a term steeped in chronology. What was once avant-garde may now be the most popular film type.

Take for example the most commonly cited “influential film” for filmmakers: “ Citizen Kane ” by Orson Welles. When this film first came out, it was monumentally innovative for its time: the use of the newsreel, the death of the protagonist in the first scene, the unreliable narrator, the signifiers, the ambiguous sound, the deep focus…and the list goes on. The thing is, today’s unguided audiences probably wouldn’t be able to distinguish Citizen Kane as an innovative, avant-garde film, which it was for its time.

So I suppose that begs the question, what is avant-garde film today? Funny enough, it’s mostly likely seen in museums and galleries…yes, the beacons of affected intonations. But it’s true. Current avant-garde films are less likely to be exhibited in a movie theater because the form does not prioritize the viewing experience of the audience in the way that commercial films do. Museums and galleries (sometimes) allow for flexibility: artists and filmmakers can make space another dimension that the viewer must experience, which is why avant-garde often intersects with the realm of video installation.

UNDERGROUND FILM

“Underground film” is a term that was coined in the 1960s and is still used today, though certainly without the same connotation. You can see the term in the film festival circuit: the Boston Underground Film Festival, New York Underground Film Festival, Chicago Underground Film Festival…and so on.

While budget constraints are still a very real challenge for modern filmmakers, having a film be seen is not as problematic. The Internet and all the available viewing channels, even specific channels made for people who appreciate experimental film, eliminate the barriers filmmakers faced a few decades ago. The Internet, after all, in most nations anyway, is public. So in an era when we as a society can’t (or perhaps won’t) hide anymore or operate in true secrecy, underground film doesn’t carry the same bite.

Of course…unless we’re talking about banned films, like Todd Haynes’ “ Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story “. The 43-minute film re-enacts the story of musician Karen Carpenter, who tragically died of anorexia, with a cast made up entirely of Barbie dolls. It was released in 1987 in film festivals, but was recalled when Haynes lost a lawsuit regarding the music licensure in the film. As a result of the lawsuit, the Carpenter estate has required that all copies of the film have been recalled or destroyed. So, if you happen to find a copy of the film and share it with someone else, that would certainly be an experience in the vein of underground film. (I dare you.)

While instances like Superstar are rare in the United States, the spirit of underground film is still alive because of the money issue. Funding is little and budgets are tight for filmmakers (and the arts in general), so many still carry on that attitude, or even write into grant proposals, “this film will be made no matter what.” Lots of filmmakers are putting together crews that work for free, working long and impossible production hours, and doing everything and anything to get a film made, even if it means bankruptcy or begging for money. Scrappy, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, DIY-style filmmaking is actually more popular than not. In fact, some might argue that the underground film attitude of the 1960s is perhaps the spirit of independent film today.

As a term and a medium, “video” tends to be more elastic and flexible than “film.” Videos can range from recorded performances (also known as video performance), to short movies (which can also be referred to as “short films”), to sculptural works that include moving images (also known as “video installation” or “new media installation”) to moving images that are digitally recorded as opposed to chemically processed. Video can challenge conventions of exhibition as well. For example, movies or “films” are conventionally made to be watched in theaters. (Whether or not they are being watched in theaters nowadays is another topic). Videos, on the other hand, can demand to be exhibited in alternative ways, such as in video or new media installations, where the display space is an important part of the experience.

“Video art” is a really flexible genre, and its ambiguity is a gift for experimental artists. It’s an art that uses the moving image as its medium. Instead of paint, video artists use the camera and the technology’s unique qualities. The canvas is the screen. The term is broad and can reference anything from a tightly edited short film with a beginning, middle, and end, to one that has none of those typical narrative guideposts (or even end credits for that matter) to a filmed performance in which an artist walks around a square in an exaggerated manner (a Bruce Nauman piece, aptly titled “ Walking in an Exaggerated Manner around the Perimeter of a Square “). And of course, video art catches all other video pieces that lie between the spectrum of a short film and video performance, such as music videos.

I personally love video art as a genre because it allows me to do things that films can’t do, like experiment with the idea of modularity and singularity. Last year, my creative partner Danny Roth and I produced an experimental video project, titled “ 7 d.a.y.s. “, in which we conceived, produced, and edited one video a day for seven days. The project grew out of a fascination with the ephemeral and the fleeting beauty of the creative idea. Each video was themed and named for the day on which we created it. Themes included memory, art&madness, city, trance, spinning, senses, and nature. The intention of the project wasn’t to create seven perfect, whole films, but to capture a week’s worth of creativity on video. The videos are meant to be impulsive, visceral, fleeting. In addition, we also wrote poetry and text for each of the videos because, for me, words and the act of writing are as integral to my life as visuality. One interesting thing to add here is how I term my work. The title is 7 d.a.y.s. , but what I use as the subtitle varies from time to time. Sometimes I call it “an experimental film project,” other times I call it “an experimental video series,” and others, I call it “a conceptual film project.” This just goes to show the elasticity of these genres and how they can overlap and intersect with each other.

VIDEO INSTALLATION

The term “installation” is another flexible term. It’s a word used to describe works that use space as an additional dimension in a work of art. Installation pieces are often sculptural in that they activate and consider space. “Video installation,” then, describes works that activate space with video. A prime example of a video installation is American artist Tony Oursler’s work, where video projection is a key element. Oursler innovatively moves the viewing space away from the big screen, or little screen, and onto unconventional surfaces. He might project video of faces engaged in monologue or dialogue with the audience onto stuffed bodies, or bedroom scenarios (the space under a bed), for example. I’d say that it’s the moving image in his works that shocks, awes, and inspires audiences. “ Little Worlds “, a collection of Oursler’s work is currently exhibiting at the Honolulu Museum of Art until June 23, 2013.

Despite the device on which a moving image was created and what term is used for it, what makes a film (or video) experimental is the unconventionality of its form or content. These kinds of films allow the audience to see and experience the world in a way that they’ve never seen or experienced before, through uniquely calibrated eyes. The process may shock us, amaze us, or disturb us. Most experimental filmmakers and artists I know are shooting for all three, plus a quality or two that defies articulation.

Minhae Shim contributes to The Independent from the vantage point of a filmmaker, interdisciplinary artist, and writer. She is an active blogger , and is particularly interested in exploring and extending the traditions of avant-garde cinema and conceptual art. She recently completed and exhibited a video installation, Video Sassoon . She’s currently helping to edit The Independent’s Guide to Film Distribution, Second Edition . She can be reached at [email protected].

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Experimental Filmmaking for Dummies (Part 1): Why You Should Be Making Experimental Films

Into the weird and wonderful world of experimental film you've come to the right place..

Here at NFS, we've covered experimental films from time to time, sharing details on how they're made and things of that nature. Last month we even shared a delightful, albeit brief, history of experimental cinema that touched on a few of the core concepts and definitive filmmakers of the genre. Despite these brief forays into the avant-garde, however, we've never actually talked about making experimental films. Until now, that is. In our new series, "Experimental Filmmaking for Dummies", we'll explore not only the multitude of reasons why every filmmaker can benefit from experimental filmmaking, but also how to get started with making shorts in all of the most popular experimental sub-genres. Stick with us on this one. It'll be a fun ride.

What Is Experimental Filmmaking?

Experimental film is difficult to define, not because its guidelines are so abstract or even esoteric, but because it's such a wide-ranging genre that defining it almost defeats the purpose of the genre itself. In one sense, it refers to anything that defies the conventions of traditional narrative and documentary cinema. It doesn't have to tell a story. There don't have to be characters. There doesn't even necessarily need to be a message of any kind. It can be visceral or mundane, engaging or a complete bore. It can be highly personal or overtly political. It can be literally anything.

On the other hand, experimental film is an aesthetic and aural art form. Film inherently takes some of the most expressive elements from other artistic mediums and combines them into a magnificent smörgåsbord of sight and sound. All films have elements of photography, music, painting, dance, etc. However, narrative and documentary films don't necessarily use all of these artistic elements to their full potential; they're more focused on creating an enhanced sense of narrative reality than creating pure aesthetic art. With experimental films, however, the extent to which these elements can be mixed and manipulated to evoke or portray emotion or ideology is infinite.

As a result, experimental filmmaking is an absurdly powerful artistic medium that can be matched by few, if any, other art forms in terms of pure expressionistic potential. If that's not reason enough to get started with this fantastic genre, here are a few more of its copious benefits.

Benefits of Experimental Filmmaking

There are numerous reasons why you might want to make experimental films alongside (or instead of) narrative and documentary films. These reasons are varied, and there are certainly more than I can list and write about here. But the following reasons should give you a basic sense of why experimental filmmaking might just be one of the most beneficial things that you can do as a filmmaker.

Creative Freedom: First and foremost, this type of filmmaking is one of the most creatively freeing things that a person can do. Narrative filmmaking, like it or not, is all about restraint in what you show and how you show it. Even the narrative films that break away from convention are subject to the idea that every image and every sound needs to be in service of the story and the characters.

With experimental filmmaking, however, you're free to throw any and all restraint to the wind and make creative decisions that would be "unacceptable" in the world of narrative film. You can express emotions, ideas, concepts, and literally anything else through literal or abstract imagery, through juxtapositional editing, through creative use of sound design. You can disregard the technical, and focus solely on the creative.

Spontaneity: In narrative filmmaking, it's difficult to be truly spontaneous. When time is money, which it always is in a narrative environment, people tend to stick to the schedule and get the shots they need to tell the story. This isn't a bad thing in the slightest, but it's not conducive to creating art, which requires at least a certain amount of spontaneity.

With experimental filmmaking, creative decisions can be well thought out choices made prior to shooting, or the shooting can be a spontaneous act of expression in and of itself. When you're not burdened with schedules and shot lists, and the AD isn't hassling you to get the next shot set up, you are free to make creative decisions as you see fit, right on the spot.

Personal Expression: Narrative filmmaking, by its very nature, is a collaborative craft. In order for narrative films to be made properly, it takes dozens (if not hundreds) of individuals, each with a specific role in the production of that piece. Even though we still promote the idea of the auteur in our current filmmaking climate, pure personal expression is nearly impossible in an environment where hundreds of unique voices coexist. Don't get me wrong, creative collaboration is a fantastic thing, and it's the best way to make narrative films, but it can be detrimental to the idea of the personal art.

Experimental filmmaking, however, offers filmmakers the ability to express whatever the hell they want, in any way they want. Your cat just died and you're all torn up inside? Make a film about it. Girlfriend dumped you for a guy named Chad? Make a film about it. The point is that making films like these can be both cathartic and productive, and oftentimes the process of making the film can help you resolve, or at least gain perspective about whatever issues you might be going through.

Social Expression: A good many narrative films have cultural, social, political, or religious undertones implicitly stated through narrative conventions. However, when tremendous amounts of money are on the line, investors and EPs tend not to want their finished films to be political or religious statements due to the fact that those types of films alienate audiences, which is the last thing you'd want to do in the pursuit of making a commercially successful film.

Just like the previous section, experimental filmmaking allows you to focus your creative efforts squarely on the statement that you're trying to make with your film, without any of the back and forth politics that come with narrative filmmaking. If you want to make films about your displeasure with the US Congress, then you can make the most scathing critique known to man. That's your prerogative as an experimental filmmaker.

Creative Betterment: With experimental filmmaking, anything and everything is possible. You can try things with the camera that you would never think to do on a narrative set. In the editing room you can stack, manipulate, and composite video to your heart's content. You can create the most mundane or insanely abstract images and sounds and re-arrange them in any way you see fit.

When you have no creative restrictions, you're more likely to try new things and, well, experiment. It's through this experimentation that you can begin to bolster your creative toolset, and create and master techniques that you may be able to incorporate into your narrative and documentary films.

Defining a Unique Cinematic Voice: It might seem fairly cynical of me to say this, but most narrative films these days are all strikingly similar to one another in terms of their style and what they offer the audience in an artistic sense. Most of us grow up watching and studying the same films, and when it comes time to make our own, we draw from the same cinematic vocabulary that most other filmmakers are using. The result is relative conformity.

In my opinion, that's what makes filmmakers such as Steve McQueen so successful and prevalent today. As someone with a background in fine art and video installation art, McQueen has forged a unique style and perspective that has allowed him to take the narrative filmmaking world by storm with his three features. No one is making films like McQueen, and that can be at least partly attributed to his early career as an experimental filmmaker and artist.

In the same vein as McQueen, you can begin to develop your own unique cinematic voice through an exploration of and involvement in experimental filmmaking.

There Are No Wrong Answers: In the world of narrative and documentary cinema, there are definite guidelines as to what constitutes a good or a bad film. Whether or not a film is good or not all depends on the writing, the directing, the acting, the cinematography, the editing, the sound, and so on. With experimental cinema, however, these "restraints" can be tossed out the window because expression is the primary purpose, not technical perfection.

This might sound like a cop-out, and to a certain extent, it is. With that said, just because the primary goal of this type of expression doesn't mean that we should be sloppy in the technical aspects of making these films. However, technical knowledge isn't a prerequisite for experimental filmmaking. There are no major barriers to speak of. You don't necessarily need a camera or an in-depth knowledge of After Effects . The only thing you really need to get started is an inherent desire to create and express yourself.

Experimental filmmaking is a world all its own, and it's one that is often overlooked by the majority of filmmakers these days. It certainly shouldn't be, though. It's a unique and powerful art form that provides countless benefits beyond the fact that it allows us to be artists in the truest sense of the word.

In order to get you guys even more stoked about making experimental films, here's one of the greatest of all time, Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon:

In our next article, we'll talk about the easiest way to get started with making experimental films, the "found footage" film.

What do you guys think? Do you have any experience with experimental filmmaking? If so, what did you think of it, and what were the benefits (or disadvantages) of that experience? Let us know in the comments!

• A (Very Brief) History of Experimental Cinema ›
• Dissecting the Experimental Genre in Film and TV ›
• Experimental Filmmaking for Dummies (Part 1): Why You Should Be Making Experimental Films ›
• What are the Best Experimental Films of All Time? | No Film School ›
• How to go about writing the screenplay for an experimental short film ... ›
• 7 Reasons You Should Be Making Experimental Films in Your ... ›
• Tips for starting with experimental films? : r/Filmmakers ›

A Week in the Life of Emmy-Nominated 'Frasier' DP Gary Baum

Hear a first-hand breakdown of prepping a live multi-cam network shoot from seasoned vet gary baum..

Written by Gary Baum

Since I Love Lucy debuted on CBS in 1951, the Multi-Camera format has defined the comedy genre on television. Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball created the format along with Karl Freund, ASC.

Their original intention was to film the comedy series with 3 cameras shooting simultaneously in front of an audience. The successful format has endured for almost 75 years, with of course updated modern technology .

Now we shoot with digital 4k format in 1:78 to achieve a 16x9 view, which is compatible for network and streaming delivery. With most studio audience shoots, such as Frasier , we use four Sony VENICE cameras with Panavision primo zoom lenses, maintained by my DIT. I shoot in S-log utilizing an on set LUT created by my Video Control operator.

Since the comedy is shot proscenium style to incorporate the full effect of watching the entire scene without breaks, it affords the audience the experience of a theatrical performance and the actors with a live feedback that isn't available on other formats.

Four cameras are blocked to capture all required angles; wide, medium, overs, two shots, singles etc.

The cameras are constantly moving to predetermined queues which require different focal lengths and angles. A typical four minute scene can incorporate 40 to 50 shots. It’s a ballet of sorts, and quite the visual experience onto itself.

Lighting for the multi-camera experience is a world onto it’s own. We must light from above without any lights on the stage floor to impede the camera’s movement. Every scene is lighted for four cameras, as we don’t have the luxury of lighting for multiple setups within a scene as with a feature or single camera TV.

For a typical five day work week, the first production day starts with a production meeting followed by a table read, and usually a light rehearsal. Hopefully the sets are up and we can start our lighting. We start the “heavy lifting” of using our larger units placing them for cross back keys and to entrance points. We use fresnel incandescent units for their throw ability as these lights can be 20 plus feet away from the intended target. I carry custom engineered LED “Obie” lights on each camera.

The second day is another rehearsal with a producer run through. At this stage, we can see the actors’ movements which then we can address with our smaller lights and some fill ratios. The third day, is rehearsal again, dealing with some script re-writes and actors movements with a final studio run through. At this point we can hopefully finish our broad lighting palate.

The fourth day is the first of two camera days. All four cameras on dollies and or pedestals arrive for the director’s blocking with line queues facilitated by a camera coordinator.

On this day we try to finish our actors’ lighting and polish our architectural lighting ie; practicals, sconces, etc. Many of these days we'll pre shoot a scene or two because of guest actor availability, to release a set that is not in view of the audience, for single camera style coverage, or for children and animal performances.

All through the process we have to maintain as many as seven sets at once. We have monitors and a quad split with switching availability between each camera to view each shot simultaneously.

On the fifth day our audience day starts with a final rehearsal for actors and cameras dealing with re-writes and maybe some re-blocking before a break for touch ups and a crew meal.

Typically the audience files in to stadium style seating while being entertained by a warmup person with a DJ.

It is a theatrical experience for everyone. Show starts at 6 PM with cast intros.

At this point our lighting is done. Occasionally there are things to attend to, such as a re-block or a lamp burn out, but generally things go smoothly, and we all experience a fun evening. Typically a show will be three to four hours in length.

The next day, the process starts anew on our next episode.

After editing, the episode is cut down to 22 to 35 minutes and then I will go to post color and work with my colorist for final delivery.

Since I like to laugh, this is a fantastic medium to work in!

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Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera:

An introductory guide for artists and filmmakers, author: joel schlemowitz.

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ISBN: 9781138586598

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An excellent introduction to the basics of experimental filmmaking, with a welcome emphasis on film rather than digital work, and the use of a simple camera, a Bolex. As the author notes, all you need is a roll of film, a light meter, and a camera – add to that inspiration, and you have a handy and accessible guide to DIY independent filmmaking.

-- Wheeler Winston Dixon , Professor of Film Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Joel Schlemowitz ’s Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture: An Introductory Guide for Artists and Filmmakers gives the reader a concise and informed overview of the history of experimental cinema methodology and application. This is the kind of book that gives those of us with the itch to innovate lots of fun ideas!

-- Peter Hartel , Filmmaker and Associate Professor, Cinema and Television Art, Columbia College Chicago

Filling a major gap in the literature while being exceptionally clear, detailed and passionate, Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera: An Introductory Guide for Artists and Filmmakers is a step-by-step guide replete with historical and technical information and creative examples to train a new generation of cinema artists working in celluloid to develop their own camera-based artistic practice.

-- Kathryn Ramey , Filmmaker, Full Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College Boston and Author of Experimental Filmmaking: Break the Machine

This unique book is a love song to The Bolex and all the mechanical tools and tricks of artists cinema. Beautifully organized, bursting with clear technical detail and inspired devotion to the art of films and filmmaking. 3 cheers for Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture: An Introductory Guide for Artists and Filmmakers !

-- Jeanne Liotta , Artist/Filmmaker, Professor of Cinema & Moving Image Arts, University of Colorado Boulder

Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera is an introductory guide to experimental filmmaking, surveying the practical methods of experimental film production as well as the history, theory, and aesthetics of experimental approaches.

Author Joel Schlemowitz explains the basic mechanism of the camera before going on to discuss slow and fast motion filming, single-frame time lapse, the long take, camera movement, workings of the lens, and the use of in-camera effects such as double-exposure. A comprehensive guide to using the 16mm Bolex camera is provided. Strategies for making films edited in camera are covered. A range of equipment beyond the basic non-sync camera is surveyed. The movie diary and film portrait are examined, along with the work of a range of experimental filmmakers including Stan Brakhage, Rudy Burckhardt, Paul Clipson, Christopher Harris, Peter Hutton, Takahiko Iimura, Marie Losier, Rose Lowder, Jonas Mekas, Marie Menken, Margaret Rorison, Guy Sherwin, and Tomonari Nishikawa.

This is the ideal book for students interested in experimental and alternative modes of filmmaking. It provides invaluable insight into the history, methods, and concepts inherent to experimental uses of the camera, while providing students with a solid foundation of techniques and practices to foster their development as filmmakers.

Supplemental material, including links to films cited in the book, can be found at www.experimentalfilmmaking.com

Joel Schlemowitz is an experimental filmmaker who works with 16mm film, shadowplay, magic lanterns, and stereographic media. He teaches experimental filmmaking at The New School, New York. His first feature film, 78rpm , is an experimental documentary about the gramophone and his short works have been shown at numerous film festivals including the New York Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and Ann Arbor Film Festival. For more information visit www.joelschlemowitz.com

Also available from Focal Press/Routledge

Experimental Filmmaking: Break the Machine by Kathryn Ramey

Become a master in the influential, diverse, and highly innovative field of experimental filmmaking. Harness the little-known techniques and subtle aesthetics required for this imagination-driven art form.

For the first time in a single volume, Kathryn Ramey has written a thorough, hands-on guide to the craft and processes of experimental filmmaking, showing you step-by-step the material methods that will help you begin an experimental media practice.

ISBN: 9780240823966

© 2019 Joel Schlemowitz All Rights Reserved

5 Best Experimental Films: A Showcase of Cinematic Innovation and Artistry

Experimental movies are a type of film that pushes the boundaries of traditional storytelling and filmmaking techniques. These films often eschew conventional narrative structures and use innovative approaches to explore themes and ideas.

Experimental movies can be challenging and unconventional, but they also offer unique and thought-provoking experiences for viewers.

These films are often made by independent filmmakers who are interested in exploring new ways of telling stories and expressing themselves through the medium of film.

In this article, we will be discussing some of the best experimental movies ever made, including works from some of the most innovative and groundbreaking filmmakers in history.

Best Experimental Movies

These films range from abstract and avant-garde to deeply personal and emotional, and they all offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of experimental cinema.

1. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974)

“Celine and Julie Go Boating” is a French film directed by Jacques Rivette and released in 1974. The film follows the story of two young women, Celine and Julie, who become friends and begin to experience strange occurrences while living in Paris.

The film’s narrative is full of surreal twists and turns, as the two women begin to enter each other’s dreams and change the course of each other’s lives.

The film is notable for its unconventional storytelling techniques, including long takes, improvisation, and a fragmented narrative structure that is both playful and mysterious.

“Celine and Julie Go Boating” was praised by critics for its innovative approach to narrative and its playful exploration of female friendship and identity. It has since become a cult classic and is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of the French New Wave.

• Celine and Julie Go Boating 2-DVD Set ( Céline et Julie vont en bateau ) ( Phantom Ladies Over...
• Celine and Julie Go Boating 2-DVD Set
• Céline et Julie vont en bateau
• Phantom Ladies Over Paris
• Dominique Labourier, Philippe Clévenot, Juliet Berto (Actors)

2. The Tree of Life (2011)

The Tree of Life is a 2011 drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick. The film tells the story of a Texas family in the 1950s, centering on the relationship between a strict father (Brad Pitt) and his young son Jack (Hunter McCracken).

The film also features Sean Penn as an older version of Jack, reflecting on his life and the loss of his brother.

The Tree of Life is notable for its ambitious and poetic storytelling, which blends family drama with cosmic themes and stunning visuals of nature and the universe.

The film was praised for its cinematography, music, and ambitious scope, and won the Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

While some critics and audiences found the film’s nonlinear structure and philosophical themes challenging, it has also been praised as a unique and visionary work of art that explores fundamental questions about life, death, and the human experience.

• Brad Pitt, Sean Penn (Actors)
• Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

3. Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees (1991)

“Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees” is an experimental film directed by David Blair and released in 1991. The film combines live-action footage with animation, stop-motion, and computer-generated imagery to create a surreal and dreamlike world.

The story follows Jacob Maker (played by Juan Carlos Hernandez), a beekeeper who discovers that his bees have developed a television system within their hive. As he begins to explore this strange phenomenon, he finds himself drawn into a bizarre world of conspiracy and espionage.

The film’s themes include the relationship between technology and nature, the power of mass media, and the nature of reality itself. Its unique visual style and nonlinear narrative structure have made it a cult classic among fans of avant-garde cinema.

Overall, “Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees” is a fascinating and thought-provoking film that defies easy categorization. Its blend of science fiction, fantasy, and experimental filmmaking makes it a truly one-of-a-kind viewing experience.

4. Dogville (2003)

“Dogville” is a 2003 drama film directed by Lars von Trier. The movie is set in the fictional town of Dogville, Colorado during the Great Depression and follows the arrival of a woman named Grace, played by Nicole Kidman.

Grace is on the run from gangsters and seeks refuge in the town, which is inhabited by a small community of people who agree to offer her shelter in exchange for her labor.

As Grace becomes more involved in the town’s affairs, she begins to uncover its dark secrets and the true nature of its residents.

The film is shot entirely on a sound stage with minimal set pieces, emphasizing the idea of the town as a construct and exploring themes of power, morality, and the human condition.

“Dogville” was praised by critics for its innovative approach to storytelling and cinematography, as well as its thought-provoking themes. The film also features a strong ensemble cast, including Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, and Stellan Skarsgård.

• Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned
• English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)

5. Mulholland Drive (2001)

“Mulholland Drive” is a psychological thriller film directed by David Lynch and released in 2001. The film tells the story of an aspiring actress named Betty Elms who arrives in Los Angeles and meets a woman suffering from amnesia.

The two women then embark on a quest to uncover the mystery behind the amnesiac woman’s true identity, which leads them down a dark and surreal path.

The film is known for its complex and surreal storytelling, its exploration of themes related to identity, reality, and memory, and its striking visuals and soundtrack.

The film’s nonlinear narrative structure and dreamlike sequences challenge the viewer’s perception of reality and create a sense of disorientation and confusion.

“Mulholland Drive” has received critical acclaim for its innovative storytelling, powerful performances, and stunning visuals. It won several awards at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Best Director award for Lynch.

Overall, “Mulholland Drive” is a thought-provoking and haunting film that offers a unique and unforgettable viewing experience. Its complex characters, surreal visuals, and intricate plot make it a must-see for fans of psychological thrillers and avant-garde cinema.

• Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux (Actors)
• David Lynch (Director)
• English (Subtitle)
• English (Publication Language)
• Audience Rating: R (Restricted)

6. Dreams That Money Can Buy (1947)

Dreams That Money Can Buy is a surrealist film released in 1947, directed by artist and filmmaker Hans Richter.

The film follows Joe, a man who starts selling dreams to people for money. Joe uses his clients’ dreams as material for his own artistic creations, but soon finds himself trapped in a world where reality and dreams blur together.

One of the most unique and groundbreaking aspects of Dreams That Money Can Buy is its use of various avant-garde artists and their works.

The film features segments directed by six different artists, each bringing their own distinct style and sensibility to the film.

These segments range from abstract animation to surrealistic live-action sequences, creating a dreamlike and otherworldly atmosphere throughout the film.

Dreams That Money Can Buy has been praised for its innovative use of art and cinema, as well as its exploration of themes such as the nature of creativity and the relationship between art and commerce.

The film’s experimental style and use of surrealism have influenced many filmmakers and artists over the years, making it a significant work in the history of cinema.

• Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters (Actors)
• Bruce Beresford (Director) - Bruce Beresford (Writer)
• Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

7. La Jetée (1962)

“La Jetée” is a French experimental film directed by Chris Marker and released in 1962. The film is notable for its use of a series of still images to tell the story rather than traditional motion picture footage.

The film tells the story of a man who is sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to find a solution to the problems of his own time.

He falls in love with a woman he sees in a photograph, and the film explores themes of memory, time, and the nature of love.

“La Jetée” is considered a landmark of the experimental film genre, and its influence can be seen in many films that followed.

Its use of still images to tell a story creates a dreamlike atmosphere that is both haunting and beautiful, and its themes of time and memory are universal and deeply resonant.

• Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
• Hélène Chatelain;Davos Hanich (Actor)
• Chris Marker (Director)
• English (Playback Language)

8. Gummo (1997)

“Gummo” is an American independent film written and directed by Harmony Korine, released in 1997.

The film is set in a small Ohio town in the aftermath of a devastating tornado, and follows a group of disaffected youth as they go about their daily lives in a surreal and chaotic world.

The film is notorious for its graphic and often disturbing imagery, as well as its fragmented and nonlinear narrative structure.

The characters in the film are portrayed as outcasts and misfits, engaging in a variety of strange and often unsettling activities.

Despite its controversial subject matter, “Gummo” has gained a cult following among fans of independent cinema, and is often praised for its bold and unconventional approach to filmmaking.

The film has been cited as an influence by numerous filmmakers and artists, and has been the subject of academic study and analysis.

• Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, Lara Tosh (Actors)
• Harmony Korine (Director) - Harmony Korine (Writer)

9. Marketa Lazarová (1967)

Marketa Lazarová is a 1967 Czechoslovak historical drama film directed by František Vláčil. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Vladislav Vančura and tells the story of a fierce and violent conflict between two rival medieval clans, the Kozliks and the Lazars.

The film is noted for its atmospheric black-and-white cinematography and its unconventional, nonlinear storytelling. It explores themes of violence, power, and the clash between pagan and Christian beliefs.

The film’s characters are complex and morally ambiguous, and the film does not shy away from portraying the harsh realities of medieval life.

Marketa Lazarová is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Czechoslovak cinema and a landmark in European art-house filmmaking. It has been praised for its visual style, its powerful performances, and its unflinching portrayal of the brutality and complexity of human nature.

The film has influenced numerous filmmakers and is considered a must-see for fans of world cinema.

• Josef Kemr, Magda Váäáryová, Naďa Hejná (Actors)
• Frantiäek Vlácil (Director) - Frantiäek Vlácil (Writer) - Josef Ouzky (Producer)
• (Playback Language)

10. Window Water Baby Moving (1959)

“Window Water Baby Moving” is a short experimental film directed by Stan Brakhage and released in 1959. The film documents the home birth of Brakhage’s second child, Myrrena, and is shot entirely from the perspective of Brakhage’s wife, Jane, as she gives birth.

The film is notable for its intimate and unflinching depiction of childbirth, as well as for its innovative use of visual abstraction and poetic imagery.

Brakhage experimented with various techniques such as scratching, painting, and manipulating the film stock to create a highly expressive and impressionistic style.

The film is also significant for its feminist subtext, as it foregrounds the experiences and perspectives of the mother rather than the father, which was highly unusual for the time.

“Window Water Baby Moving” challenged conventional notions of documentary filmmaking and paved the way for later works that would explore the personal and subjective dimensions of filmmaking.

Overall, “Window Water Baby Moving” is a groundbreaking work of experimental cinema that continues to influence filmmakers and artists today. Its exploration of the human body, childbirth, and the creative potential of the film medium make it a powerful and enduring work of art.

11. First Name: Carmen (1983)

“First Name: Carmen” is a 1983 French film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The movie is a modern retelling of the story of Carmen, a famous opera by Georges Bizet.

The plot follows a young woman named Carmen who, together with a group of criminals, plans to rob a bank. Carmen becomes romantically involved with one of the hostages, Joseph, who falls in love with her.

However, their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Carmen becomes more unpredictable and dangerous.

The film is known for its unconventional style, including long takes, jump cuts, and a nonlinear narrative structure. It also features a mix of drama, romance, and satire, as well as commentary on contemporary French society.

“First Name: Carmen” was a critical success and received numerous awards and nominations. The film is also considered a landmark in French cinema and one of Godard’s most innovative works.

• Maruschka Detmers, Jacques Bonnaffe, Myriem Roussel (Actors)
• Jean-Luc Godard (Director)

12. The Color of Pomegranates (1969)

“The Color of Pomegranates” is an experimental biographical film directed by Sergei Parajanov and released in 1969.

The film is a poetic and visually stunning interpretation of the life of the 18th-century Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat-Nova.

Rather than following a conventional narrative structure, the film is composed of a series of tableaux vivants, or living pictures, that depict various moments and events from Sayat-Nova’s life.

The film is highly symbolic and uses richly textured images, music, and poetry to create a dreamlike and immersive experience for the viewer.

The film has been praised for its innovative and highly personal approach to biographical storytelling, as well as its stunning cinematography and use of color.

However, its unconventional style and emphasis on visual symbolism have also made it a challenging and polarizing work for some viewers.

Overall, “The Color of Pomegranates” is a unique and visionary work of cinema that offers a highly poetic and visually stunning exploration of the life of a beloved Armenian cultural figure.

Its blend of biography, poetry, and experimental filmmaking has made it a highly influential work in the history of world cinema.

• Factory sealed DVD
• Sergei Parajanov, Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Aleksanyan (Actors)
• Ron Holloway (Director) - Sayat Nova (Writer)
• Spanish (Publication Language)

13. Je Tu Il Elle (1974)

Je Tu Il Elle is a 1974 experimental film directed by Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman. The film follows a young woman named Julie, who spends most of the film confined to her small apartment as she struggles to overcome feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The film is notable for its minimalist style and its exploration of themes such as gender identity, desire, and emotional connection.

One of the most striking aspects of Je Tu Il Elle is its use of long, static shots to convey a sense of stillness and emptiness. The camera often lingers on Julie’s face or on objects within her apartment, emphasizing the monotony and isolation of her daily routine.

Despite its slow pace and lack of action, the film manages to create a sense of tension and unease through its intense focus on Julie’s inner thoughts and emotions.

Je Tu Il Elle has been praised for its experimental style and its exploration of unconventional themes, as well as its feminist perspective on sexuality and desire.

The film’s frank portrayal of female sexuality and its rejection of traditional narrative structures have made it a significant work in the history of feminist and avant-garde cinema.

14. 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967)

“2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” is a French experimental film directed by Jean-Luc Godard and released in 1967.

The film is a study of a woman who works as a prostitute to support her family and explores themes of capitalism, consumer culture, and the dehumanization of modern life.

The film is shot in a highly stylized and experimental manner, with long tracking shots and unconventional camera angles. It also includes voiceover narration and intertitles that comment on the action and provide context for the viewer.

“2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” is considered one of Godard’s most challenging and thought-provoking works, and it remains a key film in the history of experimental cinema.

Its use of unconventional narrative techniques and its exploration of complex themes make it a fascinating and rewarding viewing experience for those interested in experimental film.

15. The Hart of London (1970)

“The Hart of London” is a Canadian experimental film directed by Jack Chambers and released in 1970. The film is a poetic meditation on life and death, using a montage of images to explore the natural beauty of the Canadian landscape and the human condition.

The film is structured as a series of visual and aural collages, incorporating footage of wildlife, industry, and everyday life. The film’s imagery is often abstract and fragmented, emphasizing the fleeting and transitory nature of existence.

“The Hart of London” is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Canadian avant-garde cinema.

The film has been praised for its stunning visuals, its innovative use of sound, and its ability to evoke a sense of transcendence and wonder in the viewer.

It has been studied and analyzed by scholars and filmmakers alike, and remains a seminal work in the history of experimental film.

• Audio CD – Audiobook
• Audio Vaults (Publisher)

16. Prelude: Dog Star Man (1962)

Prelude: Dog Star Man is a 1962 experimental film directed by Stan Brakhage. The film is a meditation on the human experience, using a series of abstract images and sounds to explore themes of life, death, and rebirth.

The film is divided into five parts, each exploring a different aspect of the human condition. The imagery ranges from the microscopic to the cosmic, with Brakhage using a variety of techniques such as painting directly on the filmstrip, hand-processing, and rapid editing.

Prelude: Dog Star Man is considered one of Brakhage’s most significant works and a landmark in avant-garde cinema.

The film’s abstract imagery and unconventional editing challenged traditional notions of narrative and meaning in film. It has influenced generations of experimental filmmakers and is regarded as a masterpiece of the genre.

While the film can be challenging to watch for those not familiar with experimental cinema, it is a powerful and deeply personal exploration of the human condition that continues to inspire and provoke audiences today.

17. Notre musique (2004)

“Notre musique” is a film directed by Jean-Luc Godard and released in 2004. The film is divided into three parts, “Hell,” “Purgatory,” and “Paradise,” and explores themes of war, violence, and reconciliation.

The first part, “Hell,” is a series of images of war and violence, including footage of the Holocaust and the bombing of Hiroshima.

The second part, “Purgatory,” follows a group of writers and intellectuals who have gathered at a literary conference in Sarajevo, where they discuss the role of art and literature in responding to war and violence.

The final part, “Paradise,” takes place in the imaginary city of Jerusalem, where an Israeli filmmaker and a Palestinian poet meet and discuss the possibility of peace and reconciliation.

Through its nonlinear structure and poetic imagery, “Notre musique” presents a meditation on the human condition and the struggle for peace in a world torn by conflict.

The film is deeply philosophical, and raises important questions about the nature of art, the role of memory and history, and the possibility of transcending violence and hatred.

Overall, “Notre musique” is a powerful and thought-provoking film that invites the viewer to reflect on some of the most pressing issues of our time. Its innovative style and profound insights make it a landmark work of cinema.

• Part poetry, part journalism, part philosophy, master filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard's Notre Musique is a...
• Sarah Adler, Nade Dieu, Rony Kramer (Actors)
• Jean-Luc Godard (Director) - Jean-Luc Godard (Writer)

18. 88:88 (2015)

“88:88” is a 2015 independent film directed by Isiah Medina. The movie is a nonlinear, experimental documentary that explores the director’s personal experiences and struggles with poverty and mental illness.

The film features a mix of footage shot by Medina, found footage, and computer-generated images. It also includes voiceovers, music, and sound effects, all of which contribute to its abstract, dreamlike atmosphere.

“88:88” has been praised for its innovative approach to documentary filmmaking and its use of multiple media formats to create a unique, immersive experience. The film has also been noted for its commentary on social inequality and the challenges faced by those living in poverty.

Despite its experimental style, “88:88” has resonated with audiences and has been screened at several film festivals around the world.

• Christopher Lloyd, Michael Ironside, Kyle Schmid (Actors)
• April Mullen (Director)

19. Weekend (1967)

“Weekend” is a French art film directed by Jean-Luc Godard and released in 1967. The film is a darkly comic and surreal satire that critiques bourgeois society and capitalism through the story of a young couple’s journey through the French countryside.

The film follows Corinne and Roland, a wealthy, bourgeois couple who set out on a weekend trip to the French countryside.

Along the way, they encounter a series of bizarre characters and situations, including a traffic jam caused by a deadly car crash, a group of hippie revolutionaries, and a cannibalistic family.

The film is known for its innovative visual style, which includes jump cuts, freeze frames, and long tracking shots. It also features elements of Brechtian theater, with characters breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly.

Overall, “Weekend” is a highly experimental and challenging work of cinema that combines social critique with surrealism and black humor.

Its unconventional storytelling and style have made it a landmark film in the history of French New Wave cinema and a major influence on avant-garde and independent filmmakers.

• Mireille Darc, Jean Yanne (Actors)

20. F for Fake (1973)

F for Fake is a 1973 experimental documentary film directed by Orson Welles.

The film is a playful examination of the nature of art and forgery, featuring interviews with famous art forger Elmyr de Hory and biographer Clifford Irving, who famously wrote a fraudulent biography of Howard Hughes.

One of the most notable aspects of F for Fake is its unconventional structure, which incorporates elements of fiction and autobiography into its documentary format.

The film features a series of interwoven stories and interviews, which are presented in a non-linear fashion and often blur the lines between truth and fiction.

F for Fake has been praised for its inventive style and its exploration of themes such as authenticity and illusion.

The film’s use of multiple narrative threads and its blurring of fact and fiction have influenced many filmmakers over the years, making it a significant work in the history of experimental cinema.

21. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

“Synecdoche, New York” is an American experimental film directed by Charlie Kaufman and released in 2008. The film is a complex and surreal exploration of life, art, and the nature of reality.

The story follows a theater director named Caden Cotard, who is given a grant to create a new play. As he becomes increasingly obsessed with his work, his personal life begins to unravel, and the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurred.

“Synecdoche, New York” is a challenging and deeply philosophical film that explores complex ideas about identity, consciousness, and the nature of existence.

Kaufman’s signature style of mixing surreal and fantastical elements with grounded realism is on full display, and the film rewards repeat viewings with its dense and layered storytelling.

Overall, “Synecdoche, New York” is a fascinating and deeply moving film that will appeal to fans of experimental cinema and those interested in exploring the complexities of the human experience.

• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams (Actors)
• Charlie Kaufman (Director) - Charlie Kaufman (Writer) - Anthony Bregman (Producer)

22. Outer Space (1999)

“Outer Space” is an experimental film directed by Austrian filmmaker Peter Tscherkassky and released in 1999.

The film is a montage of found footage from an old Hollywood horror film, with Tscherkassky manipulating and re-editing the footage to create a new, abstract work of cinema.

The film’s imagery is heavily distorted and fragmented, creating a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere.

Tscherkassky uses a variety of techniques to manipulate the footage, including scratching and hand-painting the film stock, as well as layering multiple images on top of each other.

“Outer Space” is widely regarded as a groundbreaking work of experimental cinema, and has been praised for its innovative use of found footage and its exploration of the subconscious mind.

The film has been the subject of extensive academic study and analysis, and has been screened at film festivals around the world.

• Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Nick Tate (Actors)
• Charles Crichton (Director)

23. Out 1: Spectre (1972)

Out 1: Spectre is a 1972 French film directed by Jacques Rivette and co-written by Rivette and Suzanne Schiffman.

The film is a sprawling and complex work that follows the lives of a group of Parisians, including actors, con artists, and bohemians, as they engage in a series of interrelated intrigues and conspiracies.

Out 1: Spectre is known for its unconventional structure and its lengthy running time, which exceeds 12 hours in total.

The film was originally intended to be a television series, but was re-edited and released as a feature film due to its length. The film is divided into eight episodes, each of which focuses on a different character or group of characters and their various schemes and machinations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzlLbWpgm-E&pp=ygUdT3V0IDE6IFNwZWN0cmUgKDE5NzIpIHRyYWlsZXI%3D

The film has been praised for its intricate plot, its improvisational performances, and its vivid portrayal of Parisian bohemia in the 1970s.

It has also been noted for its influence on later filmmakers, particularly those working in the fields of independent and experimental cinema.

While Out 1: Spectre can be challenging to watch due to its length and complex structure, it is considered a landmark work of French cinema and a key example of the New Wave movement.

• Out 1 (Noli me tangere / Spectre) - 5-DVD Box Set ( Out 1: Noli me tangere / Out 1: Spectre ) ( Out
• Out 1 (Noli me tangere / Spectre) - 5-DVD Box Set
• Out 1: Noli me tangere / Out 1: Spectre
• Out One - Don't Touch Me
• Jean-Pierre Léaud, Michael Lonsdale, Michèle Moretti (Actors)

24. Chelsea Girls (1966)

“Chelsea Girls” is a film directed by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey and released in 1966. It is a unique and groundbreaking film that is considered a seminal work of avant-garde cinema.

The film consists of twelve reels, each featuring a different segment of footage shot in various locations around New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. The reels are projected simultaneously on two screens, with the sound alternating between the two screens.

The film features a cast of characters, mostly played by Warhol’s Factory regulars, who engage in conversations and various activities such as drug use, lounging in bed, and discussing their experiences and relationships.

The segments are largely improvised, and the film has a raw, unscripted feel.

“Chelsea Girls” is notable for its experimental style, which includes split-screen images, slow-motion footage, and disjointed editing. It also has a distinctive aesthetic, with its black and white photography and grainy texture.

The film is often interpreted as a commentary on the bohemian lifestyle and culture of the time, as well as an exploration of themes such as sexuality, identity, and the nature of celebrity. It is also considered a landmark work of the “underground” cinema movement of the 1960s.

Overall, “Chelsea Girls” is a fascinating and challenging film that pushes the boundaries of traditional filmmaking and offers a unique glimpse into a particular time and place in American culture.

• English, Italian (Subtitles)

25. Out 1 (1971)

“Out 1” is a French film directed by Jacques Rivette and released in 1971. It is a monumental work of experimental cinema that clocks in at a staggering 13 hours in length, divided into eight episodes.

The film centers around a group of actors and artists in Paris who become embroiled in a complex and mysterious conspiracy.

The characters form various alliances and relationships, and the plot weaves together elements of theater, philosophy, politics, and art.

“Out 1” is known for its improvisational approach to filmmaking, with many scenes featuring extended, unscripted dialogue and interactions between the characters.

The film also includes elements of the avant-garde and surrealism, as well as a fragmented narrative structure that challenges the viewer’s understanding of the story.

Despite its length and challenging style, “Out 1” has become a cult classic and has been praised for its innovative approach to cinema.

It is considered a landmark work of French New Wave and experimental cinema.

• Out 1 (Noli Me Tangere/ Spectre/ Out 1 And Its Double/ The Mysteries Of Paris (LIMITED EDITION DELUX
• Alain Libolt, Bernadette Lafont, Bernadette Onfroy (Actors)
• Jacques Rivette (Director)

3 Characteristics of Experimental Movies

Experimental movies are a diverse category of films that often break with traditional narrative structures, stylistic conventions, and production methods. Here are three characteristics that are often found in experimental movies:

Non-linear narratives: Many experimental movies abandon the traditional linear narrative structure of beginning, middle, and end, and instead use a fragmented or circular approach to storytelling.

Unconventional filmmaking techniques: Experimental movies often use unconventional techniques, such as extreme close-ups, jump cuts, long takes, or montage to create an emotional or intellectual impact on the viewer.

Non-traditional subject matter: Experimental movies may explore unconventional or abstract themes, or use imagery that is unfamiliar or even disturbing to the viewer.

These films may also challenge traditional ideas of genre, blending elements of drama, documentary, and avant-garde cinema in new and unexpected ways.

3 Reasons To Watch Experimental Movies

Creativity and innovation: Experimental movies often push the boundaries of conventional filmmaking, using unconventional techniques and styles to explore new forms of storytelling.

Watching experimental movies can expose you to new ideas and approaches to filmmaking that you might not have encountered before.

Emphasis on visuals and sound: Many experimental movies focus heavily on visuals and sound, using innovative techniques to create striking and immersive cinematic experiences.

This can be particularly engaging for viewers who appreciate the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as cinematography, editing, and sound design.

Challenge to traditional narratives: Experimental movies often subvert or challenge traditional narrative structures, opting instead for more abstract or non-linear approaches to storytelling.

This can be a refreshing change of pace for viewers who are tired of formulaic Hollywood films and are looking for something more intellectually stimulating.

Additionally, experimental movies can offer unique perspectives on social issues or personal experiences, providing a more nuanced and complex understanding of the world.

Best Experimental Movies – Wrap Up

In conclusion, experimental movies push the boundaries of traditional filmmaking and offer a unique viewing experience that can challenge and inspire audiences. The films discussed in this series range from the surreal to the philosophical, exploring complex ideas about identity, reality, and the human experience.

Some of the best experimental movies include “La Jetée,” a groundbreaking French science-fiction film that uses still images to tell its story; “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her,” a poetic.

Deeply personal meditation on life in 1960s Paris; and “Synecdoche, New York,” a surreal and philosophical exploration of art, identity, and the nature of existence.

Experimental movies may not be for everyone, but for those willing to explore new and unconventional forms of cinema, these films offer a rich and rewarding viewing experience.

They challenge us to think differently about the world around us and offer new perspectives on the human condition.

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The Stylistic Experimentation of VIVRE SA VIE

VIVRE SA VIE

These notes on Jean-Luc Godard's Vivre sa vie (1962) were written by Dillon Mitchell, Ph.D candidate in the Department of Communication Arts at UW Madison. Vivre sa vie was originally scheduled to screen as a tribute to the late Anna Karina (1940-2019) on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. at the Chazen Museum of Art . In compliance with UW Madison’s policies enacted to slow the spread of COVID-19 this screening has been canceled along with all previously announced UW Cinematheque screenings through April 12. The Cinematheque Programming staff is currently investigating the possibility of re-scheduling some of these screenings on future Cinematheque calendars.

By Dillon Mitchell

Few films have challenged the language of cinematic narrative to the point that they necessitate new tools for understanding: Vivre sa vie is one of them. The third feature from French auteur Jean-Luc Godard, Vivre sa vie was released only two years after Godard’s now-canonized breakout hit, Breathless (1960). In many ways, it has become a more accurate signal of things to come for the filmmaker. Dense and challenging, Vivre sa vie presages the gleeful rejection of filmmaking conventions that will come to define much of Godard’s later work.

Despite its roots in the art cinema movement of the French New Wave, film scholar David Bordwell argues that Vivre sa vie – and Godard’s work at large – defies easy categorization as art cinema. Though commonly thought of as lacking universal governing principles, Bordwell identifies commonalities across art cinema as it positions itself against classical cinema: characteristics like a denial of causal relationships and narrative finality, overt commentary on the construction of narration, and a focus on filmic realism are examples of art cinema norms that he details. Gordard’s work is different, then, because it employs and ignores norms as it sees fit, sometimes changing its relationship to them on a scene-to-scene basis.

The defining feature of Vivre sa vie is its organization into 12 “tableaus,” chapters in the life of the central character Nana (played by late, iconic French actress Anna Karina, who was married to Godard at the time of filming and acted in eight of his films during the 1960s). This self-conscious structuring device offers audiences entry points into a narrative that is otherwise unconcerned with their comprehension of events. Bordwell writes that “the narration [of a Godard film] can be completely uncommunicative, leaving many permanent gaps,” citing the indeterminate time that passes between the tableaus of Vivre sa Vie as an example.

Style differs across the tableaus, each one distinct, marginally or substantially, from the others. Techniques may be present across multiple sections, but their execution and effect vary: shot-reverse shot sequences, for example, become an arena for Godard’s stylistic experimentation. From the very beginning of the first tableau, he circumvents traditional logic for filming these scenes by framing his subjects from behind – instead of seeing their facial expressions for an emotionally charged exchange, we’re denied access, made to grasp onto Nana’s out-of-focus mirror reflection in the background as a kind of anchor. Throughout, Godard finds new ways to obscure conversations and frustrate expectation. Another device that extends across tableaus is Nana’s point-of-view. The brief point-of-view shots shown in the fifth tableau are markedly different from the floating camera movement of Nana’s perspective in the ninth tableau’s mesmerizing dance sequence. Despite their shared technique, both moments capture Nana’s subjectivity with different means to different ends.

It is Nana, whose struggles for agency punctuate the tableaus, that bind this obtuse, fragmented narrative and stylistic system. Vivre sa vie opens with a quote from French philosopher Michel de Montaigne: “Il faut se préter aux autres et se donner a soi-même,” roughly translated in the English subtitles to, “Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself.” Across the 12 tableaus, Nana’s increasing inability to balance that interpersonal dynamic in patriarchal society defines her trajectory; the film’s style, despite its lack of internal unity, frequently coheres around this idea.

Some of the film’s most affecting moments come when the form serves to highlight Karina’s performance. An early tableau features a short interrogation of Nana by a police office. Godard shoots her in medium close-up and close-up shots, her face oriented directly toward the camera in a straight angle. As she recounts her story, however, her eyes are fixed on the ground, her gaze only rising to meet the camera sporadically. In those moments, Nana’s façade threatens to break: Karina’s eyes run wild while her face remains still, and Godard never pulls away to show the officer’s reaction while she speaks – only to ask her more questions when she is silent. The tableau ends when Nana eventually doesn’t have an answer for the question posed. She looks off-screen, desperate for an escape that the claustrophobic framing does not offer.

A lack of formal consistency across the film does not necessarily amount to meaningless style. Though Godard may be popularly known for his love of “style for style’s sake,” the range to be found in Vivre sa vie does make for powerful moments united around Nana. Vivre sa vie is a film that rewards repeat viewing, not because it is meant to be solved, but because it offers so many details to pore over and appreciate each time. There are moments of familiarity, elements recognizable from both the art cinema and classical cinema traditions, but it presents an experience wholly unlike another single film.

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Experimental Cinema

News and resources on experimental films, hans richter - filmstudie (1926), rating: .

Hans Richter’s pioneering Dada work Filmstudie was an early attempt to combine Dadaist aesthetics and abstraction. Made in 1926 Richter’s film presents the viewer with a disorientating collage of uncanny false eyeballs, distorted faces and abstract forms... Hans Richter’s pioneering Dada work Filmstudie was an early attempt to combine Dadaist aesthetics and abstraction. Made in 1926 Richter’s film presents the viewer with a disorientating collage of uncanny false eyeballs, distorted faces and abstract forms (none of these themes is treated constantly). It's similar to Man Ray's work in its ballet of motion which combines a playful tension between figurative and abstract forms, both in negative and positive exposure.

Filmstudie is essentialy a transitional work of mixed styles. A number of devices drawing attention to the technical specificity of photography (multiple exposures and negative images) are also included and enter into a successful fusion with the remaining elements.

Review by Marco Milone . Read more at Mellart.com

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Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, defying explanation: the brilliance of david lynch's "eraserhead".

When I turned 16, I did not receive a new car or an ostentatious party or the revelation of heretofore unknown powers that would allow me to overthrow the confusingly designed dystopian society to which I belonged. Instead, I got something better—I got my mind permanently blown through the gift, courtesy of my Uncle Edward, of a VHS tape of "Eraserhead," David Lynch 's one-of-a-kind debut feature that had become a notorious cult classic ever since its 1977 debut. At this time, I had certainly heard about the film—I had read the tantalizing pieces on them in such invaluable books as Danny Peary's "Cult Movies" and J. Hoberman & Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Midnight Movies"—and I had seen Lynch's subsequent efforts " The Elephant Man ," " Dune " and the jaw-dropping " Blue Velvet ," and was therefore certainly primed to finally experience his maiden work at last since none of the video stores in my area were adventurous enough to stock it. My only worry when I settled in to watch it—with my entire family, for reasons lost in the mists of time and a decision that would quickly prove to be spectacularly ill-advised—was that I had built it up so highly in my mind by that point that I feared that it would be almost impossible for it to match my expectations.

Needless to say, the film not only matched my expectations, it exceeded them in ways I never dreamed could be possible. Here was a film that took elements that one might have encountered in other movies in the past—black humor, gore, surrealism, erotic imagery, gorgeous black-and-white cinematography and oddball performances—and presented them in such a unique and deeply personal manner that the end result was something that literally looked, sounded and felt like nothing that had ever come before it. I may not have been able to explain any of it when it was all over but for every single one of its 89 minutes, I was absolutely mesmerized. The amazing thing is that since that first viewing, I have seen the film countless times in any number of situations—on that VHS tape and on DVD, in theaters during normal working hours and at midnight, on cable and now on the fabulous new Blu-ray special edition from the Criterion Collection (featuring such bells and whistles as a 2001 documentary featuring Lynch discussing the production history of the film and amazing behind-the-scenes footage, new interviews with members of the cast, six short films directed by Lynch and a gorgeous new 4K presentation of the film itself). Every time I watch, I remain just as enraptured with the film and its mysteries, which have held up over the years to such a degree that I suspect that to even attempt a basic synopsis would drive me to madness in attempting to convey its magic in mere words.

Set in a grim, unnamed world, during what is presumably at least a mildly post-apocalyptic age and definitely on the wrong side of the tracks regardless, the film focuses on Henry Spencer ( Jack Nance , in the first of what would prove to be many collaborations with Lynch), a label printer whose uber-nerdish look and demeanor is topped off, literally, by a hairdo that makes it seem as if he is receiving constant electrical shocks. One night, he returns home to his beyond-shabby apartment to learn that he has been invited to dinner with his girlfriend, Mary X (Charlotte Stewart), in order to meet her parents. In the most deranged variation of the boyfriend-meets-the-family trope ever produced, Mary's mother makes Henry answer any number of embarrassing questions—several of them twice—and even licks his face at one point. Her grandmother sits in the corner in a catatonic state; her overly jovial dad brags about how he has no feeling in his left arm; there is a litter of puppies nursing on the floor; dinner consists of tiny man-made chickens that spurt hideous goo whenever someone cuts into them. To top all that off, it is revealed that Mary has given birth to a premature baby ("They aren't even sure that it is a baby!," Mary wails) and her parents insist that the two get married and take it home with them.

Ah, the baby—how to describe it? Imagine a cross between a fetal version of E.T. and some form of skinned ruminant that has been plagued with an eternal cold that causes it  to cry, whine and spit up various forms of goo practically around the clock. After presumably a couple of days of this grotesque version of domestic tranquility, Mary flees for home and leaves Henry in charge at precisely the point where the child becomes seriously ill. Oddly enough, Henry pulls it together enough to nurse the kid back to something resembling health, but, after a series of increasingly twisted visions/hallucinations involving Mary (Judith Anna Roberts), the prostitute across the hall, who appears on a stage to sing about how wonderful things are in Heaven while stomping sperm-like creatures with her feet, he is finally driven to do something hideous to his own flesh and blood.

The above description may more or less describe what happens during "Eraserhead" (though I see I have neglected to mention such elements as the bookend appearances by a horribly burned man who sits at a window yanking a crank that sends more of those sperm-like creatures into the world and the extended dream sequence that eventually give the film its name) but it hardly begins to suggest how it happens. Utilizing hallucinatory production design and special effects, haunting black-and-white cinematography by Frederick Elmes and Hebert Cardwell and an astonishingly complex soundscape by designer Alan Splet that combines industrial noise, leaky steam radiators and the music of Fats Waller, Lynch plunges viewers into a world unlike any other in the history of film—imagine the cinematic equivalent of the third sleepless night after being struck down with the world's nastiest head cold—and one that leaves viewers feeling as adrift and alienated as Henry himself.

Although the end results may prove to be too alienating for some viewers, they are nevertheless astonishing to behold in terms of their formal beauty and are even more so when one considers that the film was shot piecemeal over the course of a couple of years, first with funding provided by the American Film Institute and, when that ran out, with funds supplied from such sources as production designer (and Lynch friend) Jack Fisk , Fisk's wife Sissy Spacek and money Lynch earned from a paper route. (In one of the DVD supplements, Lynch points out a moment where Henry opens a door to note that the scene of him entering the room itself was shot more than a year later.) Despite the gaps in its production, the film as a whole creates a singular mood and sustains it from the first frames to the last.

That mood has lasted from the time of its premiere until today and much of that is due to the fact that, unlike virtually every other classic film, "Eraserhead" is a work that resolutely defied all attempts to explain either what it means or even the mechanics of how it was produced. The script is a brilliant mixture of narrative and experimental structure that provides just enough storytelling points to give viewers something to hang on to, at least in the early going, before completely subsuming them with its more avant-garde moments later on. The result is a film in which all of the elements may not necessarily add up but which nevertheless maintains a logical consistency throughout that is too often lacking in a lot of experimental cinema—even if you don't quite get what you are seeing, you never get the sense that Lynch is just making stuff up as he goes along in order to score an immediate visceral impact to the detriment of everything else.

At the same time, while some have attempted to explain "Eraserhead" as Lynch's nightmarish take on the perils of domesticity or as a pro or anti-abortion tract, it is a testament to the power and purity of his vision that even after all of these years, it still cannot simply be reduced to a bunch of talking points. To "explain" "Eraserhead" would be like cutting a drum open to see what makes the noise—you may get your answer but you tend to ruin the drum in the process. Thankfully, this is a drum that should continue to make noise for decades to come. (Significantly, even though this Blu-ray is filled with bonus materials that tell the story of how the film came to be, it nevertheless manages to leave its deepest mysteries—from what it is all "supposed to mean" to the exact mechanics behind the presentation of the baby—as perplexing as ever.)

When "Eraserhead" premiered in 1977, it received largely poor reviews and minuscule returns at the box office and might have drifted off into obscurity were it not for the efforts of distributor Ben Barenholtz, whose championing of Alejandro Jodorowsky's " El Topo " a few years earlier made it a cult sensation through regular screenings on the then-developing midnight movie circuit. Based on little more than a gut feeling, Barenholtz took the film on, and, even after its initial playdates met with little success, he continued to have faith in it and convinced a theater owner in New York to keep it on until it eventually developed a loyal fan base that kept it playing for the next few years and made it one of the most (in)famous of all cult movies. (Much like the image of Harold Lloyd dangling from the clock, even people who haven't seen the film certainly recognize the iconic image of Henry and his inimitable hairdo.)

Today, this would be all but unheard of—even if the midnight movie scene existed as it once did, a film of this sort would almost certainly be relegated to a couple of underground festivals and even if a distributor were to take a chance on booking it commercially, it is unlikely they would have the patience to give it a chance to attract viewers before yanking it in order to play something with a better chance of attracting audiences. As a result, watching "Eraserhead" today can be a somewhat melancholic experience in this regard for those who once experienced it in its after-hours glory and realize that the time when something like this could thrive has long since passed. (This is ironic considering that the film is one of the few midnight movies that actually plays well at home—provided that your home system is set up properly (and the Blu-ray offers up a calibration test to help with that)—as it is arguably only one that does not exactly lend itself to the collective moviegoing experience in the manner of such contemporaries as " The Rocky Horror Picture Show " or "Pink Flamingoes.")  

David Lynch would, of course, go on to become one of the most controversial and acclaimed filmmakers of our time and his idiosyncratic visions would even strike chords with mainstream audience, as evidenced by the commercial success of such projects as "The Elephant Man" (which he was hired for largely due to producer Mel Brooks's fascination with "Eraserhead"), "Blue Velvet," "Twin Peaks" and "Mullholland Drive." As excellent as his subsequent films would prove to be, "Eraserhead" remains Lynch's purest work of art. Granted, the film may not be for everyone (my mother considers the title to be a dirty word, though she did dig " Mulholland Drive ") but for those who manage to find themselves on its admittedly peculiar wavelength, "Eraserhead" continues to be a stunning work that quite simply redefines what a feature film can do both to and for audiences willing to take the journey.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

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Title: comparative analysis of generative models: enhancing image synthesis with vaes, gans, and stable diffusion.

Abstract: This paper examines three major generative modelling frameworks: Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), and Stable Diffusion models. VAEs are effective at learning latent representations but frequently yield blurry results. GANs can generate realistic images but face issues such as mode collapse. Stable Diffusion models, while producing high-quality images with strong semantic coherence, are demanding in terms of computational resources. Additionally, the paper explores how incorporating Grounding DINO and Grounded SAM with Stable Diffusion improves image accuracy by utilising sophisticated segmentation and inpainting techniques. The analysis guides on selecting suitable models for various applications and highlights areas for further research.

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Energy & Environmental Science

Performance deviation analysis and reliability improvement during experimental development of lab-scale solid oxide single cells.

Solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs), an elevated-temperature energy storage and conversion device, are anticipated to play a pivotal role in future sustainable energy systems. Considerable research efforts have been devoted to this dynamic field, encompassing both lab-scale investigations and industrial exploration. However, a serious knowledge gap persists between laboratory development to industrial-scale application. One possible explanation is the large deviation that exist in the reported cell performances among different research groups. The errors introduced by the complex experimental process make it a significant challenge to distinguish the truly promising cell materials, fabrication techniques, and device systems. Thus, improving the reliability of cell performance obtained from laboratory-scale investigations is imperative. In this work, we begin by summarizing various parameters that can influence cell performance, including cell configuration, sealing materials and ways, current collection materials and techniques, current-voltage polarization test methods, and operation conditions. Then their potential impacts on button cell performance are comprehensively reviewed and discussed. Finally, strategies to enhance the reliability of the cell performance are suggested. We believe this specific article will offer valuable guidance for the future development of SOCs at lab scale, while also furnishing meaningful information to promote industrial applications.

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Z. (. Luo, Z. Wang, T. Zhu, Y. Song, Z. Lin, S. P. Jiang, Z. Zhu and Z. Shao, Energy Environ. Sci. , 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4EE02581D

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