Deren, Schneemann, Friedrich, and Hammer Program
Followed by a moderated discussion with Schneemann, Friedrich, and Hammer
Saturday, May 15, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Theater 1 (The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1), T1
Includes the following films:
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Meshes of the Afternoon
1943. USA. Directed by Maya Deren, Alexander Hammid. This first film in Deren’s legacy was unique for its time in that it investigated the interior life of a woman, identity, and performance in front of a camera, using the technology of cinematography and editing to create new film realities. Soundtrack by Teiji Ito added in 1959. 14 min.
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Fuses
1964–66. USA. Directed by Carolee Schneemann. Schneemann’s first film of her autobiographical trilogy was made to depict sexual intimacy and pleasure from a woman’s point of view. Fuses bears traces of Deren's work in its malleable, responsive camera movements and in the artist’s role as both image and image-maker. Silent. 18 min.
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Cool Hands, Warm Heart
1979. USA. Directed by Su Friedrich. Friedrich’s first 16mm film (transferred from Super-8 footage) is the beginning of her lifelong exploration of issues and subjects concerning women’s identity. There are many echoes of Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon in this film, including its focus on ritual and the interior landscape of the female. Silent. 16 min.
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I Was/I Am
1983. USA. Directed by Barbara Hammer. In her first 16mm film, an homage to Maya Deren, Hammer proudly extracts the key to her motorcycle from her mouth. As Meshes of the Afternoon was Deren’s key to her life as a filmmaker, I Was/I Am is Hammer’s proclamation as a filmmaker and an independent woman. 7 min.
Related Publication
Modern Women: Women Artists at The Museum of Modern Art
Edited by Cornelia Butler and Alexandra Schwartz
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In the Film exhibition Maya Deren’s Legacy: Women and Experimental Film
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