Winter Film Series: the Psychodrama

Thursday, February 28

Loosely defined as a film in which the cinematic language attempts to represent an inner psychological state, the Psychodrama was the first significant American movement in avant-garde film, and the precursor to many of today’s experimental film traditions. Picking up where the European Surrealists had left off, these post-war filmmakers created darkly poetic personal masterpieces while stretching the boundaries of representational film language.

We’ll start with Meshes of the Afternoon and At Land, two influential classic by Maya Deren, widely considered the godmother of American experimental film. We’ll also watch Kenneth Anger’s first film Fireworks, as well as two films by Anger’s overlooked contemporary Curtis Harrington, Picnic and On the Edge.

We’ll also explore more recent films that continue the psychodramatic tradition while exploring new territory, including Failed Cardigan Maneuver by the stop-motion animator Lewis Klahr, and two films by Matthias Müller: Sleepy Haven, his homage to Anger’s Fireworks, and the hypnotic and unforgettable Alpsee.

All films will be shown in their original 16mm format; admission is $5, and it begins at 7pm.