Comparing "All My Life" and "D'Est"

These two films are completely different in every context but I still felt the need to compare them. "All My Life" lasts only three minutes while "D'Est" is close to two hours. "All My Life" has piercing color with beautiful sound and "D'Est" has dull and uninteresting colors and only the sounds of people muttering and passing by can be heard. The first film has no people or objects in it, only the fence and surrounding wheat and grass. The second film has hundreds of people, buildings, and objects. Also, while I considered the first film to be one of my favorites, "D'Est" is low on my list of goodies. However, while these films are ultimately opposites, parts of "D'Est" are similar to "All My Life." The scenes in the train station where the camera slides along the sideways reminded me of the qualities I saw in its opposite. This is the only part of the film that I actually enjoyed because there's always someone or something new to look at. It leaves you wondering what happened to the previous subject that we just saw. In "All My Life," I knew what I was going to see next, but I was still intrigued. I guess one technique that won't fail to catch my eye is the sideways sliding camera. Hmmmm.

Laura Marks' Guest Lecture

"People get involved in experimental film because they feel compelled to." This was one of the first things Laura Marks discussed during her lecture. I found this statement to be very true throughout viewing many of the films she showed us. The film-makers each had something to say that was important to them in different ways. The film, "Les Egares" by Mounir Fatmi showed us some western influences that were brought to attention concerning the Islamic culture. Some of the sounds and images that stood out were the beautiful buildings and landscapes as well as the piercing sound of the bell and the strength of the wind. I liked how they continued to show the structure on top of the building from all angles, sometimes a human was present, sometimes not. The few men and women that were shown on top of the buildings seemed to be the only life forms for miles. What were they looking at and what for? At first, the people appeared to be free but when we were shown different images and the voice and text appeared, the people appeared to be seen in the light of a prisoner. In class, Marks explained that the film-maker is showing us typical Western TV images of Islams praying and he is saying, "this is not us." Also, the bells we hear during this segment of the film represent the pressure of fundamentalism. This film in relation to the next one we saw can be interpreted as offensive to the Islamic religion because it is unlike traditional forms of Islamic prayer. The next film we saw, "Allahu Akbat" by Usama Alshaibi, has the word "Resistances" or resistance in the title page. It can be described as a "Mandela film," it is very exciting from the beginning. "It's optical presence is like a dance performance," commented Marks. She also explained how the film was also an optical experiment because it had Western lineage influence. It was also a "trance film," the music was exciting, like rave music but better. The music was later described as belly-dancing music. Because of this type of music, the spirituality was taken away. It begins with slow traditional Arabic music, then leads to a fast-paced beat. In the Islamic culture, the geometric patterns have content but with the wrong type of music, the content is gone. The content of worship of Islam is taken away and altered and this could be offensive to the religion. This relates to the previous films because the people are not praying inside of the masque where they should be, they are standing on top of it. When the text begins, we get the impression that it is dis-satisfying to other people. I very much enjoyed both films but especially liked "Allahu Akbat." Comparing this film to Cory Archangel's "Data Diaries" is worlds different. While I found the "Data Diaries" disrupting, offensive, and loud, "Allahu Akbat" kept my attention and pleased my ears. I loved the music and how it went right along with what I was looking at. I think the black and white images worked well as they flashed to the beat. I wasn't running for the door.
"In This House" by Akram Zaatari, was a little confusing for me because of the way it was made. It was enticing and I felt very involved in the process, but too much was going on at once. My eyes were jumping all over the screen to keep up, but I guess that could be a good thing. Every sentence and image was important for this story about archiving but as someone said in class, there was an imbalance of information. There were eerie tones given to the voices and because of their refusal to be photographed, it was like a film of people talking while we view their ankles. The police showed up, the Christian family was scared, many people were gathered around, and there was talk of a bomb. I thought it was interesting how all of the excitement leads up to a climax of a piece of paper. An important piece of paper, but still a piece of paper.
One of the last works we saw, "Sadman," by Lina Ghaibeh was important to me because it was Lebanese TV animation, unlike any of the previous films. At first I thought it was very different from American animation, but then it started to remind me of Richard Linklater's work, "Waking Life(2001)." The type of animation was different, but it gave me the sense of a dream-like state or hallucination. The way the man kept coming back to the same activity in the bathroom, but every time he would dream something different. It was like each time he tried to preserve a happy face or state of mind, but it was impossible.

"D'Est"

I have mixed feelings about the feature film we saw on Monday. "D'Est" by Chantal Akerman began with an interesting "people watching" feel. Being a "people watcher" myself, I enjoyed watching the rolls of different people walking around the city. It felt like I could be right there, just observing(one of my favorite activities). After many of these similar scenes, the weather seemed to get colder and with that, the mood of the film changed. We started to see people alone in their homes. Some of these people were either sitting and starring or performing a meaningless act like putting on lipstick or clipping toenails. Usually, the people were all alone. The people watching just became depressing at this point. It seems like the shots jumped from groups of people to one person sitting at home alone. I felt like we visited every home and scene in the Soviet Union, each one more depressing than the last. I distinctly remember two different women sitting at home alone with a cup of coffee/tea, just starring. The only happiness I saw was the scene of the boys sledding. The shot of the people waiting outside and at the train station caught my eye because everyone just seemed unhappy to be there. I wondered if the people in the crowd were informed of the camera because everyone just sat and starred in awe. They looked at the camera as if it were an alien. Maybe they were instructed to do so. Some looked embarrassed and uneasy, few giggled uncomfortably. The film ended with a woman playing a sad song on stage. I don't know what to think of this. Maybe a perfect ending for this kind of film. I wonder if Akerman had the intent of making a piece with such a low mood. If a similar film was shot in America, would it be at all different and more uplifting? Probably not. "D'Est" left me depressed.

Favorites

Before I even read Shay's fifth consecutive post, I too considered Bruce Baillie's, "All My Life" to be my favorite film so far. I know I've expressed my problem with being able to stay awake during some films but this was far from it. I couldn't look away from the amazing color. The hot oranges and reds were piercing. It was one of the simplest pieces we've seen, yet it all of the detail and continuous movement was perfect. I wish that it would have kept going. Three minutes was not enough to capture this scene. I agree with William when he says that because of its simplicity, the viewer's mind was not clouded or bothered with hectic images. We could sit back and let our minds wander. The song in the background fit perfectly as well, it added even more beauty to the scene. Finally, I think one of my favorite aspects was the continuous movement. The slow roll of tape kept my eyes and attention focused. Even though I was certain what would come next, I was still interested. "All My Life" held the idea of active looking, and I think that is what I respect about Baillie's film making. So much talk about such a simple three minute piece seems silly but for some reason, it worked.

Feb. 14 Class Discussion

I enjoyed the method we used yesterday for discussing the films we saw on Monday. It gave people a chance to say what they really felt and gave them the opportunity to ask the questions they wanted. Often times, going around in a circle can diminish the actual conversation and people may not always say what's really on their minds. I think we brought up some good points about the films and interesting questions were answered. Once I had a topic in mind, I felt like I could write endlessly.
The paper I ended up with discussed Leighton Pierce's "Thursday," a film which I enjoyed as far as I can remember. The peace found in each shot of his home was almost calming and it was interesting to see how such simple everyday scenes could have such deep meaning. The question that was first asked was, "In Leighton Pierce's film, what is the point of showing window blinds or showing us a window instead of showing us what may have been seen on the outside of those objects? " It was answered with "I believe Leighton didn't want to show us what was outside because I think he was more concerned with showing his daily life within his kitchen/home." I agree that he purposefully stayed within his domestic area because he found pleasure in his immediate surroundings and he wanted to share it. There was a definite sense of graphic pleasure in the collection of sights and sounds that he showed. The second question was, "Does Pierce's "Thursday" relate to any other films shown in class?" The response to this was, "I think that Pierce's "Thursday" is a lot like Dorsky's "Variations" because they both paid attention to the detail we see in our lives." The film for me was similar to "Variations" in this sense but I didn't catch the similarity until it was brought up in class. For some reason I liked "Thursday" more than "Variations" and it may have something to do with the fact that it had sound. I think that if "Thursday" lacked sound, I would have felt differently. One example would be the way that the sound of the coffee maker went along with its image. I think I needed to hear its noise to get the full effect. The final question for discussion was, "In Leighton's "Thursday" he broke down time to it's simplest form, a lot like Dorsky's "Variations." How did he go about doing it?" This was answered with, "He broke it down into its simplest form by using extended shots of vague imagery. Allowing the viewer to focus with the intent of seeing a deeper meaning." I liked this idea of "seeing a deeper meaning" because we often lose sight of this when we go about our daily lives. Films like "Thursday" and "Variations" slow things down and help to regain our sense of this. Not many would see anything interesting about the blinds of a window or a pot of coffee being made, but with the "extended shots of vague imagery" it is possible.

Likes and Dislikes

The films we saw on Monday all touched me in a different way. I enjoyed some and hated the others. The films we saw during the first two weeks of classes done by Snow and Dorsky, for example, were not interesting to me and left me sleepy. However, the more recent films we've seen like "Theme Song," "Birthday Suit," and "A Letter to Jonas," have managed to keep my attention and were much easier to stay awake during. The video diary by Dorsky, to me, was a variety of nature scenes that over-all lacked excitement. I found myself dozing off in the silence. Similarly, "Commingled Containers," by Brackhage, did about the same for me. The various ways to shoot water by playing with reflections and heightened the balance failed to keep my attention. The films by Nishikawa and Kitchen were no different; as much as I tried to pay attention, I was not interested. Also, as much as I enjoy nature, I cannot find pleasure in watching it on film.
In contrast to this, I found the films that we saw on February 5th to be much more interesting and exciting. I wonder if I need to see human interaction on the screen as well as hearing actual sound to be intrigued. "Theme Song" is a perfect example of this. The communication done by face to face contact in this film was what I most enjoyed. The intimacy of Vito Acconci talking to the viewer as if he/she was right there was essential. The viewer can get the feeling that they are being spoken to and drawn in by the filmmaker. Because the camera remains stationary, Acconci successfully grabs hold of the viewer's attention and doesn't let go. Another film that really caught my attention was Lisa Steel's, "Birthday Suit." The camera is much more "in your face," as well as intimate. It is as if Steel is making a confession on camera, and it is hard to look away and ignore. Also, the nudity is a different kind of direct address. It is a specific and passive was of her telling us her story. These films are what make me glad I took the class.
The films we saw on Monday, February 12 were a variety of types of artwork and I enjoyed some and disliked others. The Renato Umali web piece, "I Learn Something New Every Single Day," was something I couldn't take my eyes off. I found it hard to listen to Carl when watching the screen. I enjoyed the way Umali would sometimes morph into a new image slowly. Also, when I could read the captions on the screen, I liked the variety of subject matter he wrote about. His captions ranged from his current crush, to items he wanted, to serious events going on in the world. His picture diary was an inspiring way to remember each day of any one's life. Because I was so intrigued by the screen, all I have written in my notes for his work is simply, "I loved it."
"A Letter to Jonas Mekas," left me in a very relaxed mood. I liked how he talked to the camera and laughed at himself at times. It seemed like a "good-morning" note for Jonas. He recorded all of the quiet and peaceful sounds as if he was waiting. However, as much as he enjoyed the peacefulness, he kept remarking on how much he missed New York.
"Gently Down the Stream," by Su Friedrich, was similar to Snow's but a much different experience. I enjoyed the fact that it was not as easy to read and how the scratching on the film strip to make the words made the film much more interesting than something like Snow's. The in stable fluttering of the words created sounds when there weren't any. Also, the changing of the size and placement of the words had the same affect and made the silent film, non-silent. However, no matter how enticing it is, a silent film always makes me sleepy. The film is like a scrapbook with its use of text and imagery. I liked how the basis of the film was on a series of dreams. The imagery in the film, including water and religious iconography was creepy and unclear. This made the film such a success to me because it made me feel like I was dreaming. The way that the words and images were so hard to read/understand gave the effect that Carl was talking about, where it seemed almost like an "aqueous state reflective of a dream state."
Lastly, I found the "Data Diaries," by Cory Arcangel to be overall repelling and obnoxious. I hated the noise with its piercing sound. I kept waiting for someone to turn it down. I was expecting the unreadable images to disappear and to see some kind of video game character on the screen. It was interesting when someone commented on how it was as if the computer had its own language that only it could understand. While I never want to see the "Data Diaries" again, I did like the way the screen would randomly (or purposefully) show signs of order, almost as if it had a mind of its own.

Experimental vs. Narrative

Can experimental films be narratives?

I'm going to take a political approach to answer this question and say that some experimental films are narratives, while others are not. However, a lot of this question has to do with the definition of "narrative;" and as Amanda says in her blog, "story" comes up in the definition. Looking back to previous films, in my opinion, Dorsky's "Variations" doesn't display much of a story. I see images of walks around San Francisco. I don't really see him telling a tale, but more giving me an idea of balance between the image and the maker. The film also gave me a sense that I was taking a walk with Dorsky, seeing everything he saw. As we talked about in class, the film was more like a visual diary, rather than a story with its own characters. For this film, I would say it is not a narrative, but rather a "sense of heightened vision" into the streets of San Francisco.
On the other hand, "Birthday Suit," by Lisa Steel is much more intimate and confessional. I do get a sense of a narrative in this film where Lisa is the main character and we hear the stories from her birth until age twenty-seven. While it wasn't a traditional story, I did hear a beginning, middle, and end. She told the story of her life so far and the scars and defects she obtained since she was born. I would call this film a narrative.
To answer the question, "are these films important?" I would say both films definitely are significant because they are experimental. Anything that gets you to think is extremely important. If we stop experimenting with film, we would be watching the same thing over and over again, not learning anything. I don't think films require a narrative to have a meaning or even significance.
Does abandoning traditional conventions mean that you have to alienate the viewer?
No, because creating questions and ideas with the viewer does not necessarily mean they are being alienated, it means they are being forced to think. They are being handed something out of the ordinary and asked to try to figure it out. Maybe if they are turned away from nontraditional conventions, they are choosing not to open up their minds and think.