MAYA DEREN DOUBLE BILL
Saturday Feb 6th, 3pm
The history of dance on screen is rich and long, especially within the frame of feminist experimental film. Maya Deren was one of the most influential avant garde filmmakers of the United States, and here we present a double bill of her works that highlight her skill as a filmmaker and deep knowledge of choreography, movement and the interplay with light before the camera.
Ritual in Transfigured Time
1946 14 mins Ritual In Transfigured Time silently follows Rita Christiani’s perspective as she enters an apartment to find Maya Deren immersed in the ritual of unwinding wool from a loom. Deren includes another expression of the external invading the internal with a strange wind that surrounds and entrances her as she becomes transported by the ritual. Ritual in Transfigured Time links the looming ritual with the ritual of the social greeting. The film’s continuity is established by an emphasis on gesture and/or dance throughout. |
At Land
1944 15 mins At Land has a dream-like narrative in which a woman, played by Deren, is washed up on a beach and goes on a strange journey encountering other people and other versions of herself. Deren once said that the film is about the struggle to maintain ones personal identity. The composer John Cage and the poet and film critic Parker Tyler were involved in making the film, and appear in the film, which was shot at Amagansett, Long Island. |
Tickets £4
