Structure And Symbols - German Short Films

Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, in association with Goethe Institute Germany, is presenting a series of 33 short experimental German films, titled Staendig In Bewegung (Constantly In Motion), showcasing current trends in experimental film and video in Germany, on 19th and 20th July, at the institute's premises in Hermitage Complex, Hillfort Road, Nampally.

The film series 'Constantly In Motion - Crossover In Experimental & Videoworks 1994-2004' has been rightly called the Laboratory Of Seeing & Hearing, presenting as it does the most significant works in current trends in Germany. They are an active representation of the close interrelationship between the films and the fine arts.

Though no fashionable trends can be derived from this series, there are indeed striking practical artistic values that distinguish the current experimental films from single channel videos, offering a complete overview of the videoworks in Germany.

The program includes complex masterworks and films focusing on experiments with various techniques and personal artistic styles. The film series is sub-divided into four collections of short films with different themes: Images Of The World (7 films), Emotional Roller-Coaster (6 films), Dis-Locations (8 films), and Structure And Symbols (12 films).

Today, the second and the last day, 12 films in the Structure And Symbols collection will be screened from 7:30pm, as below:

Private Physics, by Felix Hofler & Herwig Weiser
Germany - 4 minutes
After successfully attempting to establish a new genre called theory video in a work about the painter Francis Bacon, the artists' intention here is in a similar way a first to pay tribute to the scientist and visionary Otto Rossler and then to reflect on his unique way of conveying knowledge.

Land Under, by Cornelius Kirfel
Germany - 4 minutes
The film Landunter (Land Under) was the result of a seminar that dealt with conceptions of Utopia. The idea for the film and the music, however, already existed. In the film itself neither a Utopia nor a counter-Utopia is developed. There is also no intended reference to things in the future or in the past, which is why the sentence, "If I could change the world, I wouldn't do anything" appears in the introduction of the film.

Rack, by Volker Schreiner
Germany - 6 minutes
Three cameras on one, two, three floors of a staircase, at one time in one place, at one, two, three times in one place, at one time in one, two, three places, at one, two, three times in one, two, three places.

Little Flower, by Sebastian Jochum
Germany - 5:20 minutes
Blumchen (Little Flower) is a surreal composition of images in which video animation and video editing were used to combine the separately shot elements of the picture to create a rhythmic narration.

The Source, by Tim Coe
Germany - 2 minutes
An overgrown garden: Out of the distance comes a solitary person, then another one and another one. We see this coming and going of people in a series of short shots.

Up There, by Marc Comes
Germany - 10:11 minutes
The passion of a 13-year-old boy called Jivan is recounted in Marc Comes's work Up There. It is a psychological work of art in the tradition of the European experimental film in which sound and picture form a close intermedia relationship. The film successfully employs new aesthetic means of expression for traditional poetic forms of filmmaking.

Falcon, by Karo Goldt
Germany/Austria - 3 minutes
An orange-red field of color with a graphic design that is not immediately recognisable, accompanied by electronic sounds on the audio track: Falcon begins with a static and visually arresting image which is soon transformed. The color turns to white and then pink, yellowish green changes to orange and red. This takes place parallel to the vibrating soundtrack. Kara Goldt's work is modelled on a real image, a photograph that has been edited on a computer. Reduction and abstraction are used to enhance the symbolic character of the subject.

Persuaders, by Peter Simon
Germany - 6:30 minutes
In approaching that which is unknown, a question arises. The people who appear in the video attempt to convince themselves of what they perceive. The moment of doubt holds a delightful fascination and at the same time it makes us insecure and fearful. What the protagonists see and which object they focus on remains a secret. The performers' disturbed state is transmitted to the viewers and everyone tries to find out for himself/herself what he/she sees and understands. Emotion and fact - knowledge grows with conviction.

No Sunshine, by Bjorn Melhus
Germany - 6:15 minutes
You always want something that you know you shouldn't have. The more you know you shouldn't have it, the more you long for it. And one day you get it, and it makes you feel really good.

One After Another, by Anna Anders
Germany - 54 seconds
An attack on the audience. Thirty panes of glass are broken, destroyed by hammer, fist, foot, bicycle pump, soup ladle, rolling-pin, broom, umbrella and other percussion instruments. And the panes tinkle in a high-pitch tone...

Drama, Strings And Horns, by Gunter Kruger
Germany - 7:30 minutes
The starting point for this film was a 60-second reel produced by the German Democratic Republic television network in 1968. The label on the container indicated clearly what it was about: POIWN08575. Another report about the terror in West Germany: the police club demonstrators, 16.4.68, 21:45. A classical but silent propaganda film typical of the Cold War period, with victims and culprits and even more victims...

Utrechter Hutte, by Franz Hofner
Germany - 2:36 minutes
This all-round unit combines contemporary functionality with traditional charm. It takes little room and thus creates additional storage space for your living-room. Even the smallest flat can become gigantic. With the Utrecht hut you will experience how it feels to live in a country-house-style dwelling and learn to use living space differently. The video loop shows the transformation of a wall unit called Utrecht into the Utrecht Hut on the ground-plan of a living-room.

The entry to all the films is free. Please contact 6652-6443/2324-1791 for further details.