Re: films/videos dealing with power

From: Freya (email suppressed)
Date: Fri Jan 09 2009 - 10:02:43 PST


Does it have to involve the camera/subject to a high degree?

I would say this of course, but any film or reproduction of the Milgram experiment.

La Commune by Peter Watkins. Incredible film that deals with the relationship of the actors, not so much with the camera but the subject matter being filmed also there is a tv station being run by the commune as well as by the state so it has a freedom of the people to create film type thing going on. It doesn't make you queasy tho, much the opposite. It is however 6 hours long. Amazing film if you ever have the chance to see it tho. Maybe the war game by Peter Watkins too!

Pushing the boat out slightly, the third man! It has aspects that are potentially uncomfortable for the viewer and black humour that makes me laugh and cry at the same time. You have to watch it more than once tho to catch it. Lots of uncomfotable stuff such as we have to deal with in real life.

"Dear Wendy", a film about some people who try to help an old lady across the road. It's about the power of guns. In places it makes the viewer think, wow this film glorifies guns and then makes you realise, hamg on how is this different to any number of hollywood films that you see featuring guns!!! The only difference is this film questions peoples relationships to guns.

"Requiem for a dream"! The power of television to affect peoples lives and television as some weird ideal to look up to.Also leaves you feeling very strange at the end. I had to ask a friend to turn the lights on as I felt like I had watched some really creepy horror movie although obviously the film doesn't deal with stuff in the dark, very strange.

"Freaks" by Todd Browning, my all time favourite movie. A monster movie featuring real "circus freaks" as actors. The monsters not being the people you might expect them to be in conventional Hollywood film. Made people very uncomfortable on release, was banned in the u.k. for 30 years and it destroyed the career of Todd Browning. Partly rescued from obscurity by Anton La Vey!

love

Freya

--- On Fri, 1/9/09, Shelly Silver <email suppressed> wrote:

> From: Shelly Silver <email suppressed>
> Subject: films/videos dealing with power
> To: email suppressed
> Date: Friday, January 9, 2009, 2:48 PM
> dear all:
> i'm putting together several classes that deal with
> power - different varieties of power relations between those
> filmed and those doing the filming. this could be extreme
> (or less extreme) interactions where the
> filmmaker/cameraperson has power (most typical) or where
> it's firmly in the hands of the people being filmed.
> This power can come through the presence of the camera,
> through verbal interaction, or anything else.
>
> I'm most interested in those cases which would make the
> audience feel uneasy/queasy watching.
>
> suggestions?
>
> best!
> shelly
>
>
> __________________________________________________________________
> For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at
> <email suppressed>.

      

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