About Programming SHOCKPROOF
Monday, 22. January 2007, 21:25:47
Shockproof, which opens on Wednesday, was suggested to me by the contributors to a_film_by, an online forum for the discussion of “film as art, from an auteurist perspective.” In a previous life, I contributed to forums preceding a_film_by (notably cinemasters).
Discussions there informed my approach to cinema. Through these discussions, I also met a number of writers (most of them better writers than me) who have since become friends and colleagues. We didn't, and don't, necessarily agree on anything. However, I respect their tastes and welcome their criticism and other contributions to film culture. Out of that respect, I was very glad to invite the members of a_film_by to suggest some films to screen at the Pioneer. I want to add that this invitation also extends to the people still writing on cinemasters, though I have fallen out of touch with them.
After an extensive poll, Bilge Ebiri and Dan Sallitt collated the results and passed the resulting list on to me. This list presented many extraordinary dares and challenges. Admittedly, the first that I took up was not the biggest dare and challenge. Shockproof was a relatively easy (and inexpensive) film to locate and bring to the Pioneer. It was not the film at the top of the a_film_by list; however, it was on the list. Shockproof is the first one I have been able to program. Hopefully, it will not be the last.
I have many disputes with all “auteurist” approaches to film history. Like many, I think auteurist approaches overlook the collaborative nature of much filmmaking. But as an exhibitor, I also think that auteurist approaches – like many competing approaches – mute too many parameters of how moving images can be and actually are made, distributed, programmed, exhibited, and experienced.
Nonetheless, I do appreciate many insights of auteurists of many stripes. And I am glad to share a few programming decisions at the Pioneer with such intelligent and insightful critics as Dan Sallitt, Bilge Ebiri, my old friend Fred Camper, and all the many members of a_film_by. I want to express my sincere thanks to them for suggesting Shockproof, and I look forward to other, future presentations.
Discussions there informed my approach to cinema. Through these discussions, I also met a number of writers (most of them better writers than me) who have since become friends and colleagues. We didn't, and don't, necessarily agree on anything. However, I respect their tastes and welcome their criticism and other contributions to film culture. Out of that respect, I was very glad to invite the members of a_film_by to suggest some films to screen at the Pioneer. I want to add that this invitation also extends to the people still writing on cinemasters, though I have fallen out of touch with them.
After an extensive poll, Bilge Ebiri and Dan Sallitt collated the results and passed the resulting list on to me. This list presented many extraordinary dares and challenges. Admittedly, the first that I took up was not the biggest dare and challenge. Shockproof was a relatively easy (and inexpensive) film to locate and bring to the Pioneer. It was not the film at the top of the a_film_by list; however, it was on the list. Shockproof is the first one I have been able to program. Hopefully, it will not be the last.
I have many disputes with all “auteurist” approaches to film history. Like many, I think auteurist approaches overlook the collaborative nature of much filmmaking. But as an exhibitor, I also think that auteurist approaches – like many competing approaches – mute too many parameters of how moving images can be and actually are made, distributed, programmed, exhibited, and experienced.
Nonetheless, I do appreciate many insights of auteurists of many stripes. And I am glad to share a few programming decisions at the Pioneer with such intelligent and insightful critics as Dan Sallitt, Bilge Ebiri, my old friend Fred Camper, and all the many members of a_film_by. I want to express my sincere thanks to them for suggesting Shockproof, and I look forward to other, future presentations.
WIDGETIZE