From: Xavier Garcia Bardon (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Apr 20 2009 - 15:06:05 PDT
SUNDAY MAY 3, 2009
13:00 > 20:00
Casino Knokke-Heist
Zeedijk-Albertstrand 509, 8300 Knokke-Heist
Belgium
In the context of the Internationaal Fotofestival Knokke-Heist
EXPRMNTL
Curated by Xavier Garcia Bardon. Coordinated by Kevin Decoster.
EXPRMNTL is the most important event that has ever been organized for
experimental cinema. This amazing festival (five editions between 1949 and
1974), organized in Knokke-le-Zoute in an empty casino between Christmas and
New Year, was a key place for experimental film in the critical period of
its development, and almost the only meeting point for avant-garde
filmmakers for years, the place where experimental movements connected.
But EXPRMNTL was way more than that: it remains a fascinating experience in
the history of underground culture. As Jacques Ledoux, its founder and
director (who was also the director of the Royal Belgian Film Archive) said
: ‘The greatness of Knokke lies in its bringing face to face, not only film
makers, but novelists, theatre people, painters, et al. There are not only
screenings, but discussions, meetings; it is that which gives Knokke its
true interest’. To connect people and ideas, to provoke unexpected meetings
(with also an important social and political aspect), was the main project
behind EXPRMNTL.
In this isolated place, out of the world, people met, films were screened,
happenings happened and scandals broke out: this is where Underground film
came to Europe, where Jean-Luc Godard and Agnès Varda saw Jack Smith’s
Flaming Creatures, secretly shown in a hotel room; where Yoko Ono did a
naked performance with Jean-Jacques Lebel; where German students of the SDS
(including Holger Meins, future member of the Rote Armee Fraktion, and Harun
Farocki) demonstrated against experimental cinema. EXPRMNTL was an
experiment in itself.
In the historical context of the Casino, this programme featuring film
screenings, live performances, talks and an exhibition of rare documents
related to EXPRMNTL will discuss the history and importance of the festival.
It will also offer a rare opportunity to visit the fantastic Magritte zaal -
which is usually not open to the public - and to talk with the ghosts of
Knokke-le-Zoute.
LIVE PERFORMANCES
CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE (USA)
LUDO MICH (BE)
DOLPHINS INTO THE FUTURE (BE) play Le Vampire de la Cinémathèque (Roland
Lethem, Belgium, 1971, 24’)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Line Describing a Cone (Anthony McCall, UK, 1973, 30‘)
Le Corbeau et le Renard (Marcel Broodthaers, Belgium, 1967, 10’)
EXHIBITION
Documents related to the history of EXPRMNTL (1949-1974)
FILM SCREENINGS
The Big Shave (Martin Scorsese, USA, 1967, 6’)
21/87 (Arthur Lipsett, Canada, 1963, 11')
Schwechater (Peter Kubelka, Austria, 1957-58, 2’)
Wavelength (Michael Snow, Canada, 1966-67, 45’)
Unedited Material from the Star (John Latham, UK, 1960, 12’)
Talk Mr Bard (John Latham, UK, 1968, 7’)
Speak (John Latham, UK, 1968-69, 11’)
Flaming Creatures (Jack Smith, USA, 1963, 45’)
Ray Gun Virus (Paul Sharits, USA, 1966, 14‘)
Pêche de nuit (Henri Chopin, Tjerk Wicky & Luc Peire, France, Switzerland,
Belgium, 1963, 12’)
Beatles Electroniques (Nam June Paik & Jud Yalkut, USA, 1966-72, 1992, 3’)
Towers Open Fire (Anthony Balch & William Burroughs, UK, 1963, 10’)
Saturnus (Ludo Mich, Belgium, 1971, 30’)
COME EARLY
Entrance: 2 eur / free with the Fotofestival pass (8 eur)
Coproduction: Internationaal Fotofestival Knokke-Heist / Kunstencentrum Buda
Kortrijk.
With the help of: Cinematek.
Also in the context of the Internationaal Fotofestival Knokke-Heist
MARCEL BROODTHAERS – TEXTE ET PHOTOS
STILL / MOVING / STILL - Robert Barry, Lothar Baumgarten, David Blamey,
Marcel Broodthaers, Matthew Buckingham, David Bunn, Daniela Comani, Peter
Downsbrough, Cerith Wyn Evans, Ceal Floyer, Andrea Geyer, Liam Gillick,
Shumona Goel, Dan Graham, Tamar Guimaraes, Mischa Kuball, Hilary Lloyd, Mary
Lucier, Anthony Mc Call, Simon Dybbroe Møller, Jonathan Monk, Dennis
Oppenheim, Pablo Pijnappel, Wolfgang Plöger, Erik Schmidt, Billy Sullivan,
Lisa Tan, Sofie Thorsen, Markus Wirthmann, Florian Zeyfang, e.a. Curated by
Marc Glöde.
Cultuurcentrum Scharpoord
Meerlaan 32, 8300 Knokke-Heist
email suppressed
www.ccknokke-heist.be
www.fotofestival.be
*EXPRMNTL SCHEDULE*
13:00 > 20:00
Exhibition
13:00
Introduction by Xavier Garcia Bardon
The Big Shave (Martin Scorsese, USA, 1967, 6’)
21/87 (Arthur Lipsett, Canada, 1963, 11')
Schwechater (Peter Kubelka, Austria, 1957-58, 2’)
Wavelength (Michael Snow, Canada, 1966-67, 45’)
14:30
CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE – live performance
15:30
Line Describing a Cone (Anthony McCall, 1973, 30’)
16:00
Le corbeau et le renard (Marcel Broodthaers, Belgium, 1967, 10’) introduced
by Maria Gilissen.
16:30
Unedited Material from the Star (John Latham, UK, 1960, 12’)
Talk Mr Bard (John Latham, UK, 1968, 7’)
Speak (John Latham, UK, 1968-69, 11’)
17:00
Le Vampire de la Cinémathèque (Roland Lethem, Belgium, 1971, 24’). Live
soundtrack by DOLPHINS INTO THE FUTURE. Introduced by Roland Lethem.
Flaming Creatures (Jack Smith, USA, 1963, 45’)
Ray Gun Virus (Paul Sharits, USA, 1966, 14‘)
18:30
Pêche de nuit (Henri Chopin, Tjerk Wicky, Luc Peire, France, Switzerland,
Belgium, 1963, 12’) introduced by Marc Peire.
Beatles Electroniques (Nam June Paik & Jud Yalkut, USA, 1966-72, 1992, 3’)
Towers Open Fire (Anthony Balch & William Burroughs, UK, 1963, 10’)
19:00
Saturnus (Ludo Mich, Belgium, 1971, 30’) introduced by Ludo Mich.
LUDO MICH – live performance
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For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.