Triumph of the Wild Cine-Concert: Martha Colburn
80 min.
American filmmaker Martha Colburn does not shy away from making a loud statement. In her layered filmic collages, Colburn juxtaposes past and present, commenting on topics like war, violence, femininity or gentrification, mixed with personal experiences. Such as recent experiences with the devastating wildlife fires in Los Angeles. Her unpolished, intense animations are often fastly edited which results in a bombardment of images. Most of her work relates to America’s society and history, but several of her films are inspired by the Dutch way of life, and especially the city of Amsterdam, where she attended the artist residency at the Rijksakademie between 2001 and 2002. Colburn mixes found footage with animation, and works with various film formats, especially in her early years on small gauges such as 8mm and 16mm. This program includes new restorations and digitizations by Eye Filmmuseum.
Colburn regularly exhibits her visual art in a museum context. In the current exhibition Stop, Actie, Visie in Dat Bolwerck in Zutphen she offers a personal perspective on the confusion we often feel in a world overflowing with impressions, opinions, and emotions. A vital part of Colburn’s artistic practice is the collaboration with contemporary musicians and performance. During the screening four musicians will live perform music. This new music, inspired by Colburn’s artistic vision, is recently composed by international promising conservatory students during a research retreat organised by CelloWercken in Zutphen
XXX Amsterdam
A film that explodes with the energy of Amsterdam, national politics, overcrowding and the lifestyle of the Amsterdammers. Bubbling with fast editing of a cast of characters ranging from politicians to porn stars, and a catastrophic pile-up of traffic. The film takes a swipe at gentrification as bricks fill canal boats. The film was made for the Dutch Government to settle a disputed water bill while the filmmaker was living in the
neighborhood known as the ‘Baarsjes’. Set to electronic music of Hilary Jeffery.
A Little Dutch Thrill
The film features cut-ups and paint animations that mutate and collage the erotic Belgian Magazine Gandalf. The surreal sexuality humorously presented in the magazine resonates in the film, animating the pulsing erotica into a grotesque circus of sorts. Created as a music clip on super 8 film for the Rotterdam-based Scottish/Swiss/Dutch trio Lianna Flu Winks.
Day of the Dutch
We follow the life of two young girls in Amsterdam, as they live through a ‘Dead Life’ within a Dutch home environment. The film shows events from the daily life of a modern (deceased) family. A film about the idea that death is part of life. With a sound track by Felix Kubin and live composition by Felipe Waller and SDH.
Dolls vs Dictators
The film features ten top dictators and a group of American TV and movie star dolls. The ‘doll-versions’ of these television stars were made for merchandising - the television industry’s own form of propaganda. The dolls use their ‘powers’ to eradicate several contemporary dictators, from the notorious to the obscure. Made as a commission for the Museum of Moving Image in Queens NY. With a soundtrack by Greg Saunier.
Triumph of the Wild
A film about the trials of war and nature. It explores the impulse of hunting and the resilience of people and animals in times of battle and covers over 400 years of history in 5 minutes. Paintings and puzzles evolve from animal form to human, from hunted to hunter and from war zone to wilderness. With music by pianist Thollem McDonas.
.jpg?format=w960)
Cosmetic Emergency
A film about cosmetic surgery in history, art and war mixing found footage and animation. Includes is a rare appearance by the ambassador of cosmetic surgery, Marijke Helwegen. With a collaged soundtrack featuring musicians Hilary Jeffery, Mick Hobbs, Coco Solid and Jad Fair.
.png?format=w960)
Western Wild...Or How I Found Wanderlust and Met Old Shatterhand
Documentary about a filmmaker making a film about the famed German author Karl May. The film weaves through a mixture of stop motion animation, found footage and interviews that itself is enough to generate sensory Wanderlust.
Eaton Fire
This animation is a memorial to all that was lost in the Eaton Fire in California. Colburn lost her entire neighbourhood and so many lives and nature. The film features a cut-out of a large-scale painted collage of a Russian tank, but in this film, the tank has transformed to represent the National Guard who was guarding the fire-ravaged community of Altadena (home of the Eaton fire) from thieves and looters. Butterflies and fantastical creatures flee the flames as if living in a disaster happening in slow motion.
This program is presented in association with:
This program is presented in association with:
