Page 68 - Studio International - March April 1975

film work, work on film, which is practice, should be justly 4 Four out of ten prizes went to Drummond, in 1968. In tact,
presumably what experimental distributed, in whatever amounts, the English: 100,000 Belgian most of the American films
film is dealing with. This lay with to out of competition film-makers Francs to Anna Ambrose's seemed very academic, illustrative
the fact that the pre-selection jury as well, for the festival relies Noodle Spinner; 50,000 Belgian of certain notions about film,
consisted of five Belgians none of equally on them. It is merely the Francs to Mike Dunford's not films really but exercises in
whom apparently had the impossibility cf the jury to view Still Life with Pear; 50,000 to working out for example a series
vaguest education or knowledge nine hours a day of film which Anthony McCall's Arts Council of permutations (such as image
in experimental film. And in spite prohibits the out of competition Film Line Describing a Cone, and degeneration, or sound image
of the fact that Balachoff and films (having received less 25,000 to Richard Wooley's punctuation on a simplistic, in
Verhavert were on the pre- support from the pre-selection Diephotstrasse (submitted from actual fact nonfilmic way that
selection jury already twenty jury) from being in the final Germany where he is on a one shows many of the younger
years ago. Neither jury's criteria `running'. There were many year DAED studentship in Americans have not understood
was publicly discussed. So it film-makers who just did not Berlin). The general tendency of what structural film can actually
becomes awfully difficult to come to the festival because the festival being so low, 95% not be. It has been misunderstood as
explain why this mediocrity of they could neither get the hotel being experimental at all, that left the carrying out of certain
pre-selection was allowed to paid for, nor a subsidy for the 5% of interest (and that.was pre-written formulas, like 'relate
happen. Of 409 films viewed, trip. Critics and journalists had pushing it). Of these, the Japanese, seven sounds to seven image
seventy-four were selected for the no such problems, and French the American, the German, and stages and then go through all
competition, and twice that critics (many mediocre ones at the English were the main films. the permutations'. When
number for the daily out-of- that) were invited down to give And the English stood out as the American film-makers state
competition showings. According seminars and hold conferences strongest contingent, in spite of Structuralism is dead they must
to rumour, one juror who has in with the film-makers and the the fact that the more important realize it never really was
the past been responsible for public. This was ludicrous as film of Mike Dunford was understood in the United States
excellent Belgian TV there was no simultaneous completely rejected, in spite of the and never really worked on.
programming of experimental translation, an easy thing to fact that Malcolm LeGrice There was a retrospective of the
film, far in advance of anything on organize. Effectively, 90% of the wasn't represented (he did not work of Hollis Frampton. At
other TV stations anywhere, only festival visitors were thus locked apply out of principled opposition this stage, there is little one can
used his vote in the pre-selection out of understanding the to the competitive aspect of the say except that the work seems
once, for some inexplicable arguments about film, aesthetics, festival), David Crosswaite to be engaged in straight
reason. Rumour has it that politics, culture, etc. Apart hadn't gotten a new film ready in documentary illusionism. One
Jacques Ledoux, the festival from this, the speakers in each time, Roger Hammond did not was hoping that his new three-
organizer and the man, in the best seminar/conference were, with a manage to finish a new work hour work would be, as was
and worst sense, responsible for few notable exceptions, either either. Perhaps this is the point to Zorns Lemma, of great interest or
Knokke, was upset by the films ridiculous (filmically) uneducated state that of my three films, the importance or both. It was not.
in the festival. Ledoux, of course, reactionaries or else old style CP forty-minute Film Print was But film-makers can't always, nor
has done a prodigious bores (even more aesthetically completely rejected, the ten- should they, be expected to live
organizational job, and receives uneducated). One got an up-and- minute C/O/N/S/R/U/C/T was up to their best work. One isn't,
deserved credit from everyone, coming French artist (whose accepted for out of competition after all, a maker of spectacles. It
but this mustn't stop the invitation was arranged, unknown as was Room-Fragment 1967-74 was just unfortunate that
necessary criticism which is so to him, by his art gallery) stating (thirteen min.). My bias in writing Frampton's work seems to have
clear a necessity. The criticism `everyone knows the plastic arts would have been a problem if I gone for the moment far back into
must be levelled against him and are far in advance of film'. In had been accepted into the pre-Lemma illusionism, a sub-
his Archives' Board of Directors' fact, virtually none of the festival: my bias seems even Brakhage 'recording' of making
selection of the selection jury, speakers had seen, let alone more problematic having been steel in Pittsburgh, for example,
which made the festival so studied, advanced European and rejected, but I am sure what I that was simply of no filmic
mediocre by all accounts, American film over the last write of the festival and of the interest. Perhaps several
although by all accounts again decade. A lot of chauvinism was other films, holds for my retrospectives, and not only
it was an excellent festival thick in the air, as well. assessment of the actual situation American ones, would have
in terms of everything but the regardless of any rejection/ clarified the current film situation.
films and the discussion of film. 3 Everyone had a ball. The acceptance concerning my own
Another criticism of the greatest casino at Knokke is a huge thing, work. John Du Cane's Relations
relevance: many critics were the cinema is the most was accepted for 'out of 5 To the films: It may be best, or
invited for hotel and breakfast comfortable anywhere, everyone competition', and Sitney wanted fairest if not best, to give the
for the duration of the festival, lived near the Casino: it wasn't his work to get a prize but that notations by some of the-film-
while film-makers were given exactly an orgy but it was a good just wasn't in the brief, as they say, makers themselves from the
nothing at all, even if they were feeling for the whole time; one for final jurors. The other prizes Knokke catalogue (exemplary
accepted for the final programme. found small places to buy food to were as follows: 100,000 each for by the way). Still Life With Pear
This must be a basic change in the eat at one's prepaid hotel, Dore O's Kaskara, lamentably 1974, Mike Dunford:
next Festival at Knokke. It should (where the night porter at the old fashioned shots "Still Li/e's painterly
be added (and it was mentioned door always checked "is Madame (superimposed) of her country preoccupations, space, flatness,
strongly at the last day's coming ?" ie when everyone is house in Sweden and her context, movement, progressive
rushed forty-five minute critique checked in they lock the door, a boyfriend film-maker Werner reformalization in fluid contexts.
of the festival) that out of far cry from previous festivals at Nekes; 100,000 for Alchemy, a A still life with a pear, lighted in a
competition film-makers should Knokke). One also heard that Japanese film which blew lots of darkened space. The camera is
also be invited since their films Annette Michaelson had a tiny people's minds, (more about that); focused and after remaining in
support an equal amount of the room with a lousy uncomfortable 100,000 for Okabe's Shonen the first position for one minute is
festival. And the free Agfa film bed, and the same went for some Shiko a 'fifties-underground- moved to right or left every
which film-makers in the final of the jurors, so there certainly Jack-Smith-type homosexual- thirty seconds according to a
selection get, a highly laudable was no nepotism on that level. ha-ha-butterfly's-googoo-giggle- prerecorded set of instructions.
giggle-anarchic little film; a cute Centre section in which the pear is
little good ole underground film eaten. Third section in which the
but experimental? The 50,000 first instructions are repeated, but
prizes went to a pig-fucker film with the addition of a second
which was a sop to Makaveyev, person who eats the still life
and to FM/TRCS, a film which (pear), the camera uses the
did what hundreds of beginning instructions as a basis for action,
film-makers do when playing attempting to adapt them to the
around with abstract images obstructive presence of the
and was rumoured to be a second person. A second
favourite of Jacques Ledoux (who soundtrack is added to the first
though was not officially on any in which the cameraman
jury at all). The 25,000 went to describes the actual actions
Print Generation, an academic that the camera makes.
study of successive disintegration The film operates dialectically,
of image, (and back again), quite in that a prior structure was
watchable but merely illustrative arrived at which denotes the
of a notion developed more operations to be performed by the
Mike Dunford adequately by the English film camera and cameraman, and this,
Still life with Pear Shower Proof, by Fred during the course of the film,
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