Films of Fact

In February 1927, shortly after returning to the UK from the USA, John Grierson started gathering young filmmakers together and making history with the British documentary film movement foanded by him.

He studied the science of communications in the USA and, influenced by Walter Lippmann's critics on democracy, came to the decision that for democracy to survive, people should be more informed about the aims of the state.
Grierson was lucky to find the resources he needed in Britain under the auspices of the Empire
Marketing Board (EMB) and later at the General Post Office (GPO).

One reason for Grierson's success was his talent for bringing together a large number of different artists. Alberto Cavalcanti was responsible for the experimental sound design. Len Lye produced the first of his ingenious animation films, and the young Benjamin Britten, the most famous English composer of this century, contributed the music to numerous GPO productions. Last but not least, Harry Watt and Basil Wright were the authoritative directors in Grierson's team.

These so-called »film realists« produced their documentaries until the beginning of World War II for commercial companies, yet they always had an obviously social message. Arthur Elton and Edgar Anstey, for instance, convinced the British Commercial Gas Association to finance their film »Housing Problems« about the slums of London. They managed this by explaining to them that the people shown in the film were potential clients - as soon as they moved out of the slums. Their films range from abstract animation films and experimental documentaries to the first ever interview-style films. »The camera is yours. The microphone is yours. Now go and tell these bastards, how it really is to live in the slums.« (Ruby Grierson)

In comparison with this we are also screening a retrospective of the films by the American couple Charles and Ray Eames. They are better known as designers and architects, yet together they produced a total of more than 100 short films and multimedia presentations from 1950 to 1978. Their main clients were IBM and the US government in particular for whom they made educational films and documentaries, and planned exhibitions. Yet just like the British realists, they step far beyond the framework of conventionally commissioned movies. In their work, the Eames study the aesthetics of everyday life, and their films are characterised by the requirement of introducing science to a normal audience. In doing so these films embrace almost all genres and filmic possibilities. »They're not experimental film, they're not really films. They're just attempts to get across an idea.« (Charles Eames)
LOOK AT BRITAIN 1

Lichtmeß: Sonntag, 11. Juni 2000, 22.30 Uhr
Zeise 1: Donnerstag, 15. Juni 2000, 22.30 Uhr

1. Industrial Britain
John Grierson, Robert J. Flaherty, GB 1931-1933, 22'00 min., 16 mm, b/w, engl. OF, documentary
2. Coalface
Alberto Cavalcanti, GB 1935, 11'30 min., 16 mm, b/w, engl. OF, documentary
3. North Sea
Harry Watt, GB 1938, 32'00 min., 16 mm, b/w, engl. OF, Dokudrama
4. Trade Tattoo
Len Lye, GB 1937, 6'00 min., 16 mm, color, no dialogue, animation
5. Shipyard
Paul Rotha, GB 1935, 25'00 min., 35 mm, b/w, documentary
6. Housing Problems
Arthur Elton, Edgar Anstey, GB 1935, 15'00 min., 35 mm, b/w, engl. OF, documentary


LOOK AT BRITAIN 2

Metropolis: Donnersatg, 15. Juni 2000, 8.00 pm.
Zeise 3: Saturday, 17th june 2000, 5.30 pm.

1. Nightmail
Harry Watt, GB 1936, 24'00 min., b/w, 35/16 mm, documentary
2. Spare Time
Humphrey Jennings, GB 1939, 14'00/18'00 min., b/w, 35/16 mm., documentary
3. Pett and Pott
Alberto Cavalcanti, GB 1934, 33'00 min., b/w, 35 mm., shortmovie
4. Rainbow Dance
Len Lye, GB 1936, 4'00 min., color (Gasparcolor), 35/16 mm., animation
5. Enough to Eat - The Nutrition Film
Edgar Anstey, GB 1936, 22'00 min., b/w, 35/16 mm., documentary
6. N. or N.W.
Len Lye, GB 1937, 8'00 min., b/w, 16/35 mm., shortmovie
LOOK AT BRITAIN SPECIAL PROGRAM

Zeise 2:
Monday, 12th june 2000, 5.30 pm.
Tuesday, 13th june 2000, 8.00 pm.

1. The Song of Ceylon
Basil Wright, GB 1935, 40'00, b/w, 16 mm., documentary
2. Diary for Timothy
Humphrey Jennings, GB 1945, 39'00 min., b/w, 16 mm, documentary


GLIMPSES OF THE USA 1

Zeise 2
Sonntag, 11 Juni 2000, 20.00 Uhr
Mittwoch, 14. Juni 2000, 20.00 Uhr

1. Powers of Ten
Charles und Ray Eames, USA 1977, 8'47 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, science film
2. A Communications Primer
Charles und Ray Eames, USA 1953, 22'30 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, science film
3. The Fabulous Fifties: Comics of the Fifties; Dead of the Fifties
Charles und Ray Eames, USA 1960, 3'30 Min & 4'40 Min., 16 mm, s/w, engl. OF, Fernsehdokumentation
4. View from the People Wall
Charles und Ray Eames, USA 1966, 13'00 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, splitscreen
5. Alpha
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1972, 1'16 Min., 16 mm, colour, no dialogue, Lehrfilm/Mathematikstudie
6. Kaleidoscope Jazz Chair
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1960, 6'28 Min., 16 mm, colour, no dialogue, experimental
7. SX-70
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1972, 10'47 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, industrial
8. Parade, or Here They Come Down Our Street
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1952, 5'33 Min., 16 mm, colour, no dialogue, toy study
9. Goods
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1981, 6'25 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, splitscreen

Informations:
www.eamesoffice.com
www.powersof10.com
GLIMPSES OF THE USA 2

Metropolis
Montag, 12. Juni 2000, 20.00 Uhr
Lichtmeß
Freitag, 16. Juni 2000, 22.30 Uhr

1. Design Q & A
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1972, 5'00 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, photo film
2. Something About Photography
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1976, 8'32 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, photography study
3. De Gaulle Sketch
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1958, 2'00 Min., 16 mm, s/w, no dialogue, script for a television documentary
4. Atlas: A Sketch of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1976, 2'30 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, animation
5. Tops
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1969, 7'15 Min., 16 mm, colour, no dialogue, film study
6. The Expanding Airport
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1958, 9'25 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, animation
7. IBM Mathematica Peep Shows
Eratosthenes, Something about Functions, Symmetry, Topology, 2n: A Story of
the Power of Numbers Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1961, 2'38, 2'11, 2'39, 1'59 & 2'07 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, Sciencefilms
8. Glimpses of the USA (Rekonstruktion)
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1959, 12'15 Min., 35 mm, colour, engl. OF, Splitscreenpräsentation
9. A Computer Glossary or, Coming to Termy with the Data Processing Machine
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1968, 9'08 Min., 16 mm, colour, engl. OF, industrial film
10. The Fiberglass Chairs: Something of How They Get the Way They Are
Charles and Ray Eames, USA 1970, 8'38 Min., 16 mm, colour, no dialogue, industrial film

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