Experimental Filmmakers

Experimental Cinemas: Coursework No. 1

Joanna Glinkowska

Topic: Experimental filmmakers are less interested in telling stories than in using images and sounds to interrogate and expand the possibilities of cinema as an artform.

!n m" essa" ! would not decide the #uestion$ whether experimental filmmakers prefer making narrati%e forms$ through which the" are able to tell stories$ to nonnarrati%e ones$ which allows them exploring potential of film as a medium. ! belie%e that this issue doesn&t ha%e one correct answer as experimental filmmakers ha%e been creating films in %arious times 'since the  beginning of cinema until this da"($ places 'all o%er the world($ techni#ues and currents. ! will tr" instead comparing works of three different artists$ each of them creating in another period of time$ and attempt to find out whether it was telling stories or interrogating film as an art tool more interesting for each of them. ! picked dada artist )an *a" who$ with making his third film

 Emak Bakia ')an *a"$ 1+,-($ con%erted to surrealism 'Thompson and ordwell$ ,/1/: 10(. ! chose chose him and abstra abstract ct artist artist 2alther alther *uttma *uttmann nn because because the" were were both both other other media media artists artists 'photograph"$ sculpture$ painting 3 *a"4 architecture$ painting 3 *uttmann( before the" started making films '5e Grice$ 1+--: ,/4 *ees$ 1+++: (. The third artist that ! am going to present in m" essa" is american underground director )a"a 6eren. !n contrast to *a" and *uttmann$ her main means of artistic expression 'alongside with dance( was film. 7nother reason wh" ! chose her is her  being a woman$ which$ as she sa"s herself$ affected her films to a large extent '8udl9cek$ ,//,(. ,//,(. ! will compare compare two different different films from each filmmaker to present how their works %ar":  Emak and  L'Étoile de Mer '1+, '1+,-( -( b" )an )an *a"$ *a"$  Lichtspiel: Opus I  '1+, '1+,1( 1( and and  Berlin : die  Bakia  an  '1+,-( b" b " 2alther 2alther *uttmann$  At Land  '1+(  '1+( and Diine !orsemen " #he Symphonie der Grosstadt  '1+,-(

 Liin$ Gods o% !aiti '1+0( b" )a"a 6eren. Tr"in r"ing g to main mainta tain in chro chrono nolo logi gical cal orde orderr$ !&ll !&ll start start with with *utt *uttma mann nn&s &s film film

Opus I& !t is

considered to be the first sur%i%ed abstract 'absolute( film$ and *uttmann himself is therefore recognised as absolute film&s forerunner. 1 7bstract cinema has a strong connection with music$ as music itself is nothing but abstract4 it refers to e%er" genre$ but abo%e all absolute music$ which$ in contrar" to other genres$ is limited to essential components such as rh"thm$ harmon" etc.$ all of which can be also found in abstract film ')orit;$ 1+++(. This alikeness is the reason wh" man" filmmakers of this trend were interested in creating filmic illustrations to music '%isual music($ which were often called with musicassociated musicassociated terms such as &s"mphon"& or &opus& '*ees$ 1+++: