Short in the dark
May 27 - May 28, 2009
With poetic visions of worlds that cease to exist or worlds that spontaneously come about, all imbued with breathtaking beauty, we invite viewers to sharpen their gaze, often in silence. This program explores anticipated new films from local artists (Jon Behrens, Salise Hughes, Karn Junkinsmith, Sarah Jane Lapp), national (Pat O'Neill, Robert Todd) and international artists (Michael Snow, Philipp Lachenmann, Eriko Sonoda). Plus, we’re honored to present the Seattle premiere of Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas' first short film. Inside or outside the norms, these films represent the eternal struggle for new frontiers in the cinematic language.
Adulte (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico, 1998, 7 min)
Shot in black-and-white 8mm film, this first short from Mexican enfant terrible Carlos Reygadas (Silent Light) is a Bergman-esque, surrealist story of a man, a coffin and a cliff.
Bedtime Stories (Sarah Jane Lapp, USA, 2009, 1 min)
A wonderfully wistful hand-drawn animation involving bats and dreams.
The Chronicles Of Cleo And Jack (Karn Junkinsmith, USA, 2009, 15 min)
Two skateboarders, Jack and Cleo, are harassed and thwarted by a pack of card playing, dancing freaks while on their mission to deliver a package.
Dig (Robert Todd, USA, 2007, 2 min)
Over the staccato beats of a jackhammer, the filmmaker locks his camera’s gaze on the street in front of his home as it was dug out, paved over, then ripped apart again, revealing a restless array of mysterious geometries.
Garden/ing (Eriko Sonoda, Japan, 2007, 6 min)
An examination of the cinematographic space from within and without. A continuously repeating camera movement, like a mantra, leading to new observations and insights.
Horizontal Boundaries (Pat O'Neill, USA, 2008, 23 min)
First screened in 2003, this shape-shifting portrait of Los Angeles examines the “divisions between individual frames arranged one above the other on motion-picture film.” Presented with a fresh soundtrack by Carl Stone and a new 35mm print.
Puccini Conservato (Michael Snow, Canada/Italy, 2008, 10 min)
A sound recording of Puccini’s “La Boheme” is paired with a continuous hand-held pan, guided by the music, and intercut with shots of flowers and wood fires, exemplifying the lyricism in Puccini's music.
Shu (Philipp Lachenmann, Germany/USA, 2007, 12 min)
An isolated high-security prison in the Mojave Desert—the Secondary Housing Unit, or SHU—is shown at dusk as searchlights are gradually lit, along with other lights in the evening sky, reminding us of the functional mechanisms of Disney and Hollywood.
Slow Boat To Thassos (Jon Behrens, USA, 2009, 7 min)
A powerful, pulsating “direct animation” in which slide film is processed with ink, instant lettering and symbols. With music provided by Cabaret Voltaire.
Somewhere (Salise Hughes, USA, 2009, 4 min)
Somewhere between a 1950s sock hop and the Wild West, two Technicolor lovers meet to belt out a tune from “West Side Story.”