Saturday, September 13, 2025, 8:00 pm, classic-editor
KORNELIA BOCZKOWSKA’s THE ANIMAL SHOW
Ever wondered how experimental films represent animals? Our international cinema sister Kornelia personally introduces a global program that challenges the representation of animals in mainstream media, highlighting non-anthropocentric modes of seeing, being, and movement. These home movies, diaries, animations, found footage, and music videos–both handmade and digital–deepen our understanding of the complex relationship between humans, animals, media, and environment: Becoming, Jan van Ijken (Netherlands, 2018), the miraculous genesis of animal life seen in a great microscopic detail–a salamander in its transparent egg from fertilization to hatching; Not (A) Part, Vicky Smith (16mm, UK, 2019), in reference to the rapid decline of flying insects, dead bees found on walks were positioned directly onto negative film and contact-printed; Jamal [A Camel] (16mm, 1981), Ibrahim Shaddad‘s report from the life of a Sudanese camel plays out in a dreary, small room–a sesame mill; buffalo lifts, Christina Battle (16mm, Canada, 2004), a herd of buffalo desperately try to hold on as they cross the film frame; a bmovie, Lindsay McIntyre (Canada, 2005), in-camera S8 film about a dog named b; Laika, Deborah Stratman (USA, 2021), homage to the spirits of Space Test dogs, with music by Olivia Block, Michael Morris (16mm, USA, 2023), cine-poem for Black Taffy’s song Riding Day and a loving nod to LeGrice’s 1970 Berlin Horse; PATTAKI, Everlane Moraes (Cuba, 2019)–in the dense night, when the moon lifts the tide, water beings are hypnotized by the powers of Yemaya, goddess of the sea; The Fourfold, Alisi Telengut (Canada/Mongolia, 2020), based on ancient shamanic rituals in Mongolia and Siberia, and against the backdrop of modern existential crisis and human-induced environmental change, an exploration of indigenous worldviews and wisdom–a reclaiming of the ideas of animism for planetary health; HORANGI, Lynn Kim (USA/Korea, 2024), based on a dream of laying in a field of tigers, wrapping around each other, existing in union…a moment of tenuous harmony and myriad tactile feelings and emotions;Cuban iMAL (world premiere, USA, 2025), shot by both Dominic Angerame (here in person) when in Cuba and Alanna Zrimsek when on African safari; TBA, Toney Merritt (USA), also a 2025 world premiere, and also with artist in person! $11