film & video: SP01 A Decade Called 'X'

The film and video section consists of a series of screenings relating thematically to the motto of the festival. Works range from feature film programmes [FP] to a number of compilation programmes [CP] and special programmes [SP].

A Decade Called ‘X‘ (Part I)

curated by Marcel Schwierin

For the first time after the renovation of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, transmediale is once again a guest here. The congress hall, which was a gift from the USA in 1957, has been an ideologically charged building, a ‘beacon of freedom’ against fascism, which at the time had just disappeared, and against communism which still had to be overcome. The curator and filmmaker Marcel Schwierin has compiled a short film programme which reflects on conflicting currents of the 1950s: martialistic films – obviously influenced by the war-reels – get together with a hysterically joyous consumption rush, distrustful propaganda, spies, atomic fatalism, conquest to outer space, hope for peace and science devoutness. In between situated the upcoming Avantgarde film after the war, still isolated, looking for new forms of expressions against the ideological stream of images.

Programm I (English)

TASK FORCE ‘57 – CHEVROLET TRUCKS ARE HERE, advert, us, 1957, 4:00

C·1959 CHEVROLET, advert, us, 1959, 2:00

RHYTHM, (was Chrysler advert), Len Lye, us, 1957, 1:00

A DAY CALLED ‘X’, Harry Rasky, us, 1957, 27:00

THE MULLINAIRES, advert, us, 1953, 3:00

WHAT MOZART SAW ON MULBERRY STREET, Rudy Burckhardt / Joseph Cornell, us, 1956, 6:00

WHAT IS A MAN?, Sara-Kathryn Arledge, us, 1958, 10:00

DESISTFILM, Stan Brakhage, us, 1954, 7:00

DAYBREAK EXPRESS, advert, D.A. Pennebaker, us, 1953, 5:00

More information: www.transmediale.de