Marcel Dzama’s The Lotus Eaters, Sad Ghost, and Radio Shorts April 22, 2006

The Department of Film and Media presents the world premieres of Marcel Dzama’s short film The Lotus Eaters, with live musical accompaniment arranged by David Driver; and Sad Ghost, a collaboration with Spike Jonze, Patrick Daughters, and Michael Wadsworth. Also presented are the Dzama Radio Shorts, a series of film vignettes dating from 1996. The Winnipeg-born Dzama, whose work is in MoMA’s collection, is perhaps best known for his drawings, sculptures, artist’s books, and CD covers. Dzama’s fantastical, subversively humorous, and poignant films combine live action, animation, puppetry, and painted sets, and are populated by tree people, Berlin bears, cowboys, amputees, and humanoid animals. The artist’s sophisticated primitivism and use of rudimentary cinematic trickery recall such silent-era pioneers as Georges Méliès. The actor Josh Hamilton, noted for his recent award-winning off-Broadway performance in Hurlyburly, will offer a dramatic reading of Tennyson's classic poem The Lotos-Eaters prior to the screening of Dzama's eponymous film.

Organized by Joshua Siegel, Assistant Curator, Department of Film and Media.

Marcel Dzama’s The Lotus Eaters, Sad Ghost, and Radio Shorts. 1996–2006. USA. Four noted musician-composers provide accompaniment for the films: David Driver, a star of the off-Broadway musical People Are Wrong!, whose albums include Togetherness by Phillips & Driver; Chris Anderson, a guitarist for the bands Muckafurgason, Moi?, and The Last Car; Marty Beller, drummer/percussionist for They Might Be Giants and many national dance companies, Hollywood films, and television programs; and Jon Spurney, who has performed off Broadway in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and with David Byrne and John Cale, and who regularly provides piano accompaniment for silent films at MoMA. The Lotus Eaters and Sad Ghost are world premieres. Program 60 min.
Saturday, April 22, 7:00. T1

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Pictured above:

Marcel Dzama. Poster for The Lotus Eaters. 2006