Re: PLEA for ACTION!!!-----Jack Smith held hostage!

From: Freya (email suppressed)
Date: Sun Jan 22 2006 - 03:17:15 PST


There seems to be a lot of confusion over this but I
think I can explain it better.

The problem Mary has is that she cannot get access to
the images she needs to finish her film. This is
nothing to do with copyright etc but because some
people actually have the images and negatives in their
possesion and these are the only copies of the images
that exist.

I imagine there are few suitable images of Jack
available outside of what used to be Jack Smiths
personal collection because there was not so much
interest in Jacks work when he was alive. This is
exacerbated by the fact that Mary appears to be
finishing in HD(??????) and thus needs access to high
resolution scans.

The issue is more to do with control, who controls the
actual negatives and prints that exist as opposed to
copyright, the right to copy something. So the
situation is more like DRM then it is like copyright
if you want to make those kinds of analogies.

As for the situation with screenings of the film, my
understanding is that Mary is going ahead with some
pre-screenings of the work in progress, basically she
is going to show a piece of work that is unfinished.
(Obviously possibly a dangerous thing as people may
think they have seen the work no matter how hard you
try to tell them otherwise!)

The actual screening of the finished film has been
cancelled as Mary feels unable to finish it at
present.

Presumably the movie is all ready to go bar the final
images.

love

Freya

--- Mary Jordan <email suppressed> wrote:

> My premiere of JACK SMITH & THE DESTRUCTION OF
> ATLANTIS was pulled from the
> Rotterdam Film Festival. It can't be finished
> because the Plaster
> Foundation are withholding needed elements.
>
> Thank you to everyone who's supported me and
> contributed to this film. I am
> determined to finish it!! But I can not until I
> select and receive 40 photo
> negatives by Jack Smith that were paid for and
> licensed from the Plaster
> Foundation back in 2002.
>
> Jim Hoberman and Penny Arcade are gate-keeping! Jim
> has some of the photos
> in his Tribeca storage locker and Penny others in
> her lower east side
> apartment. These are photographs that they have no
> right to title for but
> still are keeping them under lock and key. For what
> purpose?!!
>
> Jim and Penny's position is that I've been given
> "unprecedented access" to
> Jack's photographs and claim no further obligation
> to me or my film.
>
> Their unprecedented contributions would have me
> featuring (in my high
> definition finish) NONE of the Jack Smith
> photo-images I've chosen to
> feature. And LOW RESOLUTION transparency scans and
> scans of scratched
> CONTACT SHEETS of the images I have been allowed to
> see. This does not sound
> like a contribution that befits the undying
> contributors to Jack Smith's
> legacy Jim and Penny make themselves to be.
>
> Please take action to urge Jim Hoberman and Penny
> Arcade to act in the best
> interest of Jack Smith's art and release these and
> other needed materials to
> my film as promised. They have no legal right to
> possess these images or
> Jack's archives, but still are interfering.
> Minimally they should
> immediately release them to a third party for
> safekeeping and monitored
> access to fulfill their obligations to my film and
> Jack Smith fans at large.
> Jack Smith's sister and family (who legally own the
> works) are 100%
> supportive of the film, and offered complete open
> access to Jack's archive.
> But Hoberman and Arcade are blocking this.
>
> Please if you have interest in Jack Smith, do not
> stand by idly...ask your
> own questions and encourage that jack's art be
> released from the crusty
> vaults for all to see!!!
>
> Mary Jordan-Director
> "Critics are handmaidens of the lobster" Jack Smith
>
>
> Two Work-in-progress screenings at the IFFR. I will
> appreciate anyone who can stop by to show their
> support.
>
>
> "DRESS REHEARSAL: Jack Smith and the Destruction of
> Atlantis"
>
> Rotterdam International Film Festival Screen Dates
>
> Tuesday Jan. 31st--- First screening of the
> work-in-progress
> Thursday Feb. 2nd --2:45 pm screening public
> Saturday Feb. 4th --SCREENING CANCELLED (!!!)
>
>
> PS - the withdrawal letter to IFFR was posted at
> TonguePress.com
>
>
>
__________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> <email suppressed>.
>

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.