ICO Essentials: Dreams

[Particle Zoo]

Cinema has flirted with the fantastic since its origins, but the most potent and penetrating explorations of the unfathomable world of the unconscious can be found in artists’ work. Essentials: Dreams collects together the mythic, the nightmarish and the psychedelic to present pioneering artists’ wondrous visions revealing cinema in all its magical intensity. Featuring celebrated work by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, Lawrence Jordan, Jan Svankmajer, and Suzan Pitt. Curated and presented by George Clark.

Un chien andalou, Luis Buñuel / Salvador Dalí, France, 1929
Les Jeux des Anges, Walerian Borowczyk, Poland, 1964
Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Deren, USA, 1943
Dimensions of Dialogue, Jan Svankmajer, Czechoslovakia, 1982
Asparagus, Suzan Pitt, USA, 1974-78
Our Lady of the Sphere, Lawrence Jordan, USA, 1969

This programme is currently touring the UK. I saw it last night at the Dartington Barn Cinema in Devon. I'm familiar with Bunuel, Deren, Svankmajer and have seen a little of Borowcyk, but Suzan Pitt and Lawrence Jordan were new to me. I particularly enjoyed Pitt's ravishingly colourful 'Asparagus'.

The only disapointment was that the presentation was obviously digital rather than film.

Has anyone else seen this compilation? I was pant wettingly excited, it's so unusual to get anything like this in my neck of the woods.

[foggy eyes]

Yeah, this is a neat compilation - Les Jeux des anges and Our Lady of the Sphere were revelations for me. More info here.

When all the programmes were screened at Tate Modern, everything was projected on film. In order to tour the whole thing, the ICO had to put everything on a digibeta culled from a variety of sources: Les Jeux des anges is from a new 35mm print that they struck specifically for the programme (sadly wasted on a hard drive), whereas Dimensions of Dialogue looked like it had been taken from the BFI DVD. Un Chien Andalou was taken from an old VHS - which, unlike the BFI DVD, preserves the complete version.

Anyway, Particle Zoo, I've not heard much about the Barn, but looking at the programme it looks pretty solid. We didn't get the new 35mm print of Kings of the Road as part of the touring Wenders retro here in Exeter, so I think I'll drive out for that!

[Particle Zoo]

Thanks for the info, Foggy Eyes. I thought 'Chien' looked somewhat ropey and I realised something was different to the BFI DVD.

I also really enjoyed 'Les Jeux des Anges', do you know if there is a DVD release of this and/or other Borowczyk shorts? His collaboration with Chris Marker 'Les Astronautes' is fantastic, but I've only seen it on 'Youtube'.

I've only been to the Barn a few times, I actually live in Plymouth, but their programming seems better, for my tastes, than the Arts Centre down here. Also the setting, building, seats and screen are better!

I have to confess to not knowing much about Wim Wenders, I saw 'Wings of Desire' years ago on VHS, but that's about it. I guess the retrospective is a good opportunity for me to rectify this.

[MichaelB]

I also really enjoyed 'Les Jeux des Anges', do you know if there is a DVD release of this and/or other Borowczyk shorts? His collaboration with Chris Marker 'Les Astronautes' is fantastic, but I've only seen it on 'Youtube'.

If you can't wait, buy the French DVD of La Bete (Arte) - that has six supporting shorts including the two you mention. However, it doesn't have subtitles - not a problem for those titles, but you need French for some of the others.

However, I suggest waiting a few more months - rumour has it that at least two (maybe three) companies are prepping Borowczyk shorts compilations on both sides of the Atlantic, and on past form they should be completely English-friendly.

[Particle Zoo]

Thanks Michael B, I will wait.

At the risk of creeping, can I just say that the Svankmajer and Quay BFI collections are two of my most treasured DVDs.