The crowd looks up: A Grin Wi thout a Cat

Who is Chri s Marker? Bett er to usk

" How many Chris Markers hMe there
hcenT' Ever since the nmne Chris.
Murker (thut doL patiently wHiting for it s
mm) fi rst appeared in the late FOJ1i es, the
mUll hol'll Christian Douche-
Vi llencuve has dcvelopl:d into whut
HOI\'unl Hampton deserihes in the fol -
lowing pages as " the most unclassifi-
uhle of directors." Moving IXlck and fOl1h
hetween hook and film. wonl and imugc,
past ilTlIl present , here lInd there, Mnrkcr
is an evcr-evoll'iHg hyblid. That idcntit y-
(;oncealing dot was left off SOmc timc
NEXT ISSUE:
J. Hoberman on Description of a
Struggle, Min Lee on Marker's post ..
May '88 collaborations with SLOM,
Paul Arthur on the filmmaken rela ..
tionshlp with Soviet Cinema, Olat
Moller on Marker and Japan, Kent
Jones's look at Marker's CIMIOM
Immemory, Andre Bazin's seminal
essay on Marker's Letter from
Siberia translated for the first time,
Sam Dllorio and Mlchael Chalken on
Marker's writings, and a definHlve,
fully annotated blblla-filmography.
ago as Murker 1)C(;ullle cinem,,'s COli-
summate di versifi er: world tm\'eler, fil m
css;lyist, writ er, pholO'JI'dpher, pol iticull y
cnguge<1 intemationalist.
Why "unclussifiablc"'? Panly because
32 FILMCQMMt,:NT
of the multifucetl.'tl (u nd, it h.1s to be
said, mostl y invisiblc) nature of the work
il self but also becuuse Marker's achie\'e-
mcnt has been 10 muke himself pretty
much invisiblc. loo. No nll!3n feat. given
the cult of personalil y IllIIt still dominates
cinema. But it's been u lifet ime's work,
this Cheshi re Cal- like vanishing act,
this rCI'erse' engineering of an ahsencc.
Modl"-s ty, or u kind of inverse na rcis-
sism'? In truth, they mu ller little, the
motil'es for hi s self'rcmO\'lll to the status
of a recuning hi" J11uhiplic.1tion
of surrogates alld heteronyms (Marker,
Krasnu. Yarneneko, etc,). Ai> a tactical ploy
in the wider stmtcgy of kI:cping moving,
evol ving. and pmduci ng. it',:; heen the work
that has mallercd most. and his vani sh-
ing act has had the l>cnefiei.ll si(l c effect
of making thc voice, the personalit y,
reside entirely in the work, The Marker
non-persona of "The Man Who Was
(ami Wasn' t) There," the Palisian Oz,
would have becnj ust u great gag had the
films not beel] quite so unforgettable
ami behind II'hicll , tllc suspi cion grew,
there may have becn some kind of real
wi zardry at work,
'111ere hm'e bt.'Cntimes when Marker's
11.- '110\\11 has been Jjlllc ilIOIe than a cinephile"s
a nJll lo]'(.'t1 sighting of a fut.'C suid
to exist in onl y a coupl c uf photogmphic
inl<lgCS. But steadily, whi'9"le1s hare gIUIlll
in vol ume, and cinckids find themselves
Jis(;olll'l'; ing enthusiuslieally with movi e
elders ahoutthat black pearl at the heM
of cinema's crowlI jcwcls, La le/CC. Or,
about the "spirals oftimc" that have encir-
cled them, one gellcmti oll aft er the next,
seems to mc, lUlIl evident ly
to 1.111 the other writers in this two-I). 1n
do"sicr, th,lIthe whisl)(.'1S 1J1lI'e now reached
such a pitch that qUeilion "Who is Chris
Marker?" may well be 11'01111 posing anew.
So. what do we knoll' tdXlllt i\huker? ' IlJUI
hc wa<; hom in Paris--or Ulan Butor- in
1921. That he was u puhlislic{lwri tcr in
hi s mid-twenties. produci ll g 11 novel , a
critical essay on the playwright Jell n
Cimudoux, and a nUlllber of collulxmlti\'e
"moIl11l
0
'C texts" inL"OITXJr..Iting words and
imab>eS. liS well as regular t;ontribulions to
the puhlications E5prit and Gallicrs du
d IlCI/IfI. nl.,t he was u socially
is! whose tJ'3vels woold take him 10 Chinll,
the USSH, Korea, Cuba, Ismel, Japal1, and
mally rXJinl<; in belwt.'Cn. ' Illat he was a coU-
u1:oralor I\;th OIlier 11ll1l1l1akel1;, noltdlly AJain
Besnuis, hefore he begun making hi s Oll'n
films :lIld that , in the SO-plus years sinee
his fel.llure, Olympia 52 (52), llis out-
put har; included films of "al)' ing lengt hs
for the ci nem." documentaries for T\', col
lecti ve films, wriUcn eommentaries for
other filmmakers, and multimedia and
vidl."O work.
It's tempting 10 reduce thc great di\'er
sit y of Markers output to a checklist of l1ut
thctllat ics: timc und memory, word ali(I
imuge, stmggle and lihet1y, etc. BelleI' 10
let this dossier's eOlllrihutors b'1lidc you
throogh Ihe Marker lahyrinth and 10 pro-
cet .. d by indi rection, taking the detoUl's
offered through their chosen approaches.
In some cnses these take the form of
cxplorations of spceifi c films (Le l oN
mai; Marker's most ]'(.'Ccnt work, Remem-
brance a/ Things 10 Come; hi s filllls of the
laIc Fifties and curl y SiXlics), Elsewhcre,
thc appronch is thcllllltic (l'lownl'd l'lump-
ol'el" iell' of tIle i\ lmkcJ'''menlOl), WIIC"
UlKI ultherine Luptoll on hi s ever-ehnng-
ing relationship with technology) or gt.'O-
graphi c (Olaf Mijll cron the filmmukcrs
li felong rclntionship with Jnp;:m in Prut 11),
'10 pamphrasc the IIIUIl himself com-
menting on Japun: " If you lI'antto get
to knoll' Marker you cun as well invent
him,"-CItHl S D,\lIKE
1
Defining {llIuliticl' of Ih., Ik'ripiwml vision-
my: obli{IUi l y. tlHH1C'sl y. thoughtfulness.
hUllIo". (, fi lical 11 rpt rospec-
th'c oppreciuliulI (If I lis per. -
l"lleli('. :t.igt;.ag mind 1111\,\ 1;; 011 (what ('Ise?)
{'(It feet. sidlillg Il uuugh ('I1I\\" ls of l'pfuget"-
like iJlJ4,'\:.'>. Mching-plol ('011)1" fiorn
cv(' ry\\'here-Mos(ow. Tokyo. Puris.
Il uvutlu. Okinawu. ClIlM' V(,rlle,
San Fnmci:;(o. 'Iurko\'sk{>; So/un':;. cyhf.r-
spuec. Ouija Is. (I kf'Cp forgett ing: Is
hi Je/lre the urchail' pn,"lluellO 12
or thl' SftIUf'IIO (.All/m?)
'1'1\(',0;(: shadow l'ouri el"S ('tiny normuli('
gcogmphics wit h them. imprinlc(1 IlkI'
hlltooS: "the map heenmes Ill(' If'mlory:'
insclihillg the Illtitud('s 1111(1 lon-
gitudf's of lIIlSpokf:11 lives. hid(If'Jl (;011-
uudictiolls.teUlali' 1\ 1:111111. llIeasurn:1
voiec makes il stl f IIt-'al11 aho\'f' Ihe whi tf'
noise of wm-:-;. 1)lIlilical Sl.l\'1lgf'ry. imptOftCfI
f('\oluliotls. 11 tlraws li S in will, Il leeonfi-
df' lIliul. dmul( ':-; Iint-' lotlf' of l' tin)' ad
sliplX!l.I illlo Ill(' Prl11v/a 1X"Wlnals: lueid
ale,1I1c,;s sceks like-minded ('ompanion-
ship. lI'ilh eye 10ll'ard ('se-aping glohal
nightlllure of kamikazt' idtol ogiCli. nOA
utopi as. dOlllim,lion I,y ('onsllmptioll.
Throughout a ilNpenl ine journey
into-tUlll oul past. Clu'is Marker
has been IIH' mosl unel .lssi ri able of
directors: a wh imsit'lIl-my"t
lic'ul link belw' :I:1I Zen 1111(1 Murx? A
Zone poel stlllking tl,c inllN life of hi.<;-
Nalun' (Im'ul\h'lltarian tracking
Ihat 1110,;1 el usivt' of endangr-I-etl spE('ir:s-
suhj eclivi ly? Is Mark"r Ill(' lale. semi-
lamenled 20lh ('('l1ll1ry"s Illnsl pililess
(:ol'Oncr. or il s lasl l)tIn isutlt II is bod)' of
work Illl."els us on ils O\I'n 1lf'N'li('allenns.
less a seri es of (lis(' retl-' mol ion pic1uff"S
than so many passional ely skf'lched-
oUI ehaplens. Cull I:ach a "Coll volutc,"
using Waiter l3cnjwnini; nomendalure and
Ihe UEO's llefinilion: " Hollf'Cllongi lmli-
nally upon ib;df. as 11 Idin Ihe bUll." One-
by one. pil!(1: I,y up 10 a si n-
gle. lifelong lluesl memorializing the
clrcuUllire of an epoch Ihal va ni she-d
before hi s eyes. cOllversalional.
{'vcr-evol ving ri nematic hyhrids (news-
rf'ci/ficl ioTl. UI Je/CI/s stills-nn-film.tlw
gradual of villeo's ('asual pl us-
ticil Y) alwll Ys set:mto he moving in sev-
("ral (liredions al once. fuli-eirding huek
- .,.-0
CHRIS MARKER'S ANATOMIES OF
MELANCHOLY. BY HOWARD HAMPTON
10 Ihe same cternal prt:(x'('upation--our
limes as thry_ aml wl!. havI' I't:t'mingly
passed into the duslbin of Ilistory.
One Da), if! Ihe l.ife f#/llI(/n'i lin;ellel"ich
(00). hi s tender. elemenlal panf'gyrit 10
Ta rkO\'sky. supplies a Ihumhnail sk(\(h
of Mark(']':" own acsllwli(': ..... I\n"r(i
was n.ti singan imaginary hOllsc. ulIlliqut'
house Whf'fe all Ille rooms olX'n onto Ollt'
1lJlOIher. UJl(1 all!taIl0 ilK' !'1lJll1:' (."OI1;(lor ......
His work could be ('ollsi,lere(lllw (' ine-
malic ("(llIil'ulelll of l1enjamin's spmwling.
sulurnine notdXlOks for I,i>l IInlinishNI.
li len.t ll y inlenninablc Projecl-
hultransposC(!10 a world wlwrl' lhe video
arcmle und Inlcmel has ("( ' plut'etl tllf'
19th century';; catheurul-lik( Jlt'Oto-shop-
ping-malls and Oaru:: ur-halJllls. Thus Ilw
peculiar feeling of staId), }'t' l fntzzlNI
simuhunei ty in 1.(/ Je/lfe (62). StillS
(82). und 1...e/:eJ Fit'l! (97). Ihal dual for-
wanllho('kll'ardluuking qUlllil}'. IIIf' anlie-
ipalOl)' and Iile relrOSp(:t.: li w" s(,nlmble(1
logelher in Ill' o\'(!..Jappillg. t.ountlary-
blurring way Ihal feds so li ke whal real-
ity has become. As mu(h painslaking
edilor as ul/leur (as if Ihe world lI"f're a
librury of oUllakes and losl negalives
wui ling to he foulltl und r('slortll 10 liff').
he has narrators lleliver 11":,,e digres-
sive. inluitil'c-lcuping of quotalions
and nuninalions as if Ihey were le\le!':> rI".lI,1
al oud 10 absent or deceased fr ie tlll s
(Tarkovsky. Alexander Mctl vedkin. you
or 111t'). Mi;;sil"('S ("omposed of so mar,), 1}1X!S
of foollt ge Ihal are Ihen senl gCllll y I'in-
hailing hack inlo Ihe \\Orlll. ill a lun-
gUlt gf' Ih11i'S as puh!i\' as a polilieal
demnnsl l'Ul iOIl. redusin' as u St..'( I"{ '1 life.
and intimal(' liS a love song.
For illslnnee. "Only I.ol'e Can Hrl'uk
Your IleUlf'--exe('pl Ihal Markt/ sult-
slilul('S Ilislol)' us the source of all ,10I)fl1t'l1
---
anlnr. lI's the sultry air-ruid sin!11 iI(duc-
ing and ahandoning gel1crul iolls of the
UJl\\llI)' 1lJIt.IUlU"ff[Uit('(l: us wnin might have
said. you call' t make a rc\'olulioll wit houl
breaking a few hearts. 1101 10 menlion
wills. (Slalin expedit("{1 Ihc !'AA:('SS: a
bullf'1 Ihrough Ihe hf'ad was a quil:ker II'lIy
FILMCO'\IMF.NT :\:I
of Ihf' IIII.-' SS' I;.(I. ) A Crill
!Fithout (j Cat (77) lIIay I K' MUl'k""',, 1110,:1
,: yslt: mutie f'xplul'atiull of"llu'
thal hi slury plays" 011 us, hut nit'
Imll1ol.I/JI'I'ik (9J) tml'en;;es a IUnll"\',l lk'
of frOIll it steclwr. more
01ISfnwl l1t1glc. Instca(1 of ti le dO\I'll wanl
Sixli('" arf' of i .. tvxicatctl itlealism <I!Ut
clendll-'fl-li"t .solidarity- in-upheaval, it
foUu\\,;; th(' ('nl.s lu .. >(1 aspimtions of U gl' ll -
('mlioll ofSu\' ict dr('<lI1If'rs.
I('ft wai li l1l-( tll Ill(' Il"mlUliou's altm: or (',L"II-
all y upon it. WIICI\! UI j e/CI!
'l h ... lcI1i;.(v oflil1l"': ' it ulsu el'Ok(':'i 1111'
phYlOi('al space of hi ;;IOI) '- il s Ulltl
<l1lf'rt llrCS-HS well <! ;; an elltily you 1'1111
1001('h. taste. PUI'Sll(', de,.i ll. ' ;"1 wlt{'n' tlitn.'"
Consciousness is
not a theme or a
trope in this work-
it's the un-rarefied
air his films breathe,
even if they some-
times must don gas
masks to wade
through the stench
of decomposing lies.
de;;.i('('. loss is SlIrf' 10 foll ow: Ill\' II WtllO!)'
ofi mp('l lllillgdeulh al ll'lIll y preSl. 1l1 Ilitllill
Ill(' momenl of d('qX'sl uti ss.
II I Ille l .. \''' of t1 Grin l[Ii,IIulI/II Co/ aI,,1
ilf" t'ompanionf". il isn'l Ihc d"1Ilh of lilt'
(oq)O,,,,, l l.toll y MlII'ke" is so IlIlwh ('UII-
('('n1NI wilh (Ihough IU' IlIakes II( 'ulltiful
ftllwl'lllntll si(' for f\ INlvl'{lkill. TarkClv,:ky.
Chr. Cllev(1lu. und others). bullh(' il"alll
of hOIW- llwl ehitlH:' ra of a IX'IIt'r, ttHlrt
ju"l. Clwsllirc-smil ... of 11 wurl d in ti lt' on'-
ill g th,ll II'US lu 1)(' ;; lnll1glCII by IHln'Hu-
('1, 11", l';('alots. cultuntl ('or lfunni"ls.
O\('rio:lll. s pil'illlUl cxlllluslion, in""II-
:':It(' \cllulil y. apalhy. I-li s ce<lsdt'l'>." n -'l'OIl-
lexluulizinA all,II'Cposilionillg ofimawf"
i" a WU)' of l'('Htli ll g- HlIII writing
--hMIR'e1l tl l('irlilk'S: l\!u.lilinga dil l frul n
'Iul'km':o; k)'s 1956 ;:;tlllicltl III m atiupt Hlioll
of I lelllill,,<w(lyi:: 111C Killers, f\larkerlltlll:<
il '" puil' uf 0\'('1'('0/11('11 baby-facc d U""1I:<-
iut" slutlli-in;; for all thp "cII'I1
1I(IIi('('l1If'lI whu woulcl serve a" 11)(' l'l'll-
wry';; "' Slll'tllilwtors. ClII to All1ln i
}\r,;l(llf'\'id. himi'lf'lf. tl mkiug 1.1 IMII1I11it-ol'-
tlw-al'list-as-a-yollllg-IIIUlI walk-oil ill
:H
Il w hlal'k-iIll{l -whilf' produt"tion_ I I. ha;;
an illNlIl/:,'ll lOusly jaunly IImc UII his lil);'.
\\hi(h Mark.rs na rralor i(I(,111 il1t:"' . wi lh
gral'l'y<lnl i 1l)11Y tltallranSf'f'llds il ",elL Lt ;;
" l.u llaby of llirdlund"- lhe ki llll of
JIlOJll f' 1l1 Ihat OCCllrs so
Unt'n in Markcr. when' a pCI-rectly nllltl -
limit IiII -tlnl li"f'r'l'al iOl tfPUlI('hl i ne 1)1.. '1,:01110.,';;
:<u p" ITIIllrgl' d wi ll l crlti';;'(' lt rrc lll ", of
"11I.lilt1l'hol y ;lllll dazzl .. llu' IlI." :Illrolllil-
tl. a;;i(l(' il1lpreb'llal NI wi lh "WUtl'-
11{';;'_;O. l iNt! is Ihp Ullmi slubble euphnril'-
for'10111 lin/:, 'e of i\'1arh,:s sensibilil Y. tll!lSe
pluek),. Im' lile Dj atl go- Ve110\' chonl,. of
Ill oughl . "ll lings Ihal (Iui eken Ihe hparl"
a" 1\'(11 a:< rend it.
Othl"r noles sll'uek 011 tlt t: saol(' fn' l -
t.olll'fI: .. 1t was a limp ofhittemes" utld
Jrt;nlrl(';;',,<; fmm whi ch some l)Cvplt: would
1Il' \'c'r Im(rge." "Thc hall If' WllS 1051 ill
ad"a"I...- .... ' l1l1:' I.llItP(R" \fa;< to fi x the ali('r-
lUi.llh." "Iller opetlNllhe door <LIkllw \'an-
i;; ll('d." "Capsizi ng iH (I worl d of siS"s:'
"VoY(,Ulizing Ihf' '1'h(' M;tri" II -
had gat11f ... --Pi('k your mask:'
Pamlll l,. may h(' clr:'lwlI wi th all il1tlcli-
hI ... Mmif' t' to l,()(lard's (lrehl ), aphorisli c
1Ii#nirt I .. "son,.. as well as philo;\()flhcr-
"ltIIl-atll ilil mlllak(' r Cuy Dehonl';; cinc-
llIati(' IH'g<llions: li11 (,s of inf1u('tHT.
OItri ,lp. ('nillcidenlal-or-Ilot ",imilarili(,;; .
Bul wlWI The Lml l10lsheri k tI"moll-
sl r;r\('s Illt'IlUgh ils I>oi gnanl sall('r-\\ it is
\1 hat I." mis.;.; ing fmmllibnl U1KIl)('ho,, 1-
Il w tricky integral ion of Il le aesllwlic. Ihc
hj;;lorie. al1d tll(" 1X'r'wll al. GtMi:ml kHce-
j(' rk,; Il w af'''' lh('t ie al.lO\-e other t'omsid-
('mlinn';,lI'hi l" DclJOIll lo, li ",sul\'c
( ilWl1la li k(' ('I(,:lrillg so mUIII nib
hi,;;hy "mokf'-and-min'ors (('v(, 11 w< he
I I I li,: m\11 1tf.,'I"llfl ill a I1J11umli(-ni l.ilist
l'lan)' l.ime lighl). Marker',; st'lf-('ffal'c-
nWIlI ('onlra;;t;; with the fOJ1m'r's ('o"llIic
"d f-" 'gal'tl (111f' ;:.i ngulur dt! \'olion to pfUl'-
ugut ing hi s <11111\ of ;; igll il1l'U!U:e-" I;; II'1
th; 11 :<0. Mr. Cabnl?,,) "Il(llhe kiltt't"f" impe-
rious mi,;atrt hmpy (the would .. l)(, I'e\'o-
lutiolll1ry wi lh ,lJI Abel Gal1('(' -size
Napolt'Olli(' ('ompl cs. wllO,sc Sit uatiuni sl
mO\'ellwllt Iw,lsletl morf' f'SColtu"uni-
('11[('11 t":tu 0 1l t!S in slaUlI-
ing). Tire I .(ut fJoMI(,l'ik is commillcll tu
hOlh allusi\'(' (I('tlsit y aud plai n ;; ptllkin).!:.
to I h .. tlluhi -Iay('rcll. aUlI
pol ), plwni('. 11](' supt!rimpos('d fnulIe
wi ll rill tit .. fralll(' and Ihe (lbstm('1 pidufe-
in- pi(II1I''''. gi ving wilnl':<se';
(,llOlIgh hrealhing space to hal'(> theif
:<a)'. Mati"'I' b ... lif'l'f!S ill lislening. iulook-
illg I'l n:;f'ly (al faces. mOlllag(s. CUIl-
('\pt,,). ill li llkitlg; gll lI'rali:f';ll ion:; tn th('
Ilarmlox(';; flf Ihl ' l'at1ilular. amI in qlw;;-
liult itl g 1111' virginal ''11;ri lll y III hinll ,.o
11 "Ill)' a-;sul "l tI i. In,; ( II' i III "'1 '1 '. (i itl1l , 11)( I
again. he ", ho",. 11 ... ,nidi\ " IIh"I:I-
,It'S 1Il-'lli ltsl ('I'llt ury'" (, It' I il)-
"raliutl euming frolll wi lhiu. ilt t"m,f'
il lt tl lorilarian-!t,l ali l:lri:ln illll lll l".,; 111:11
hil..tl l'l.l lllcir huug"1' (Of 1'0\\1'1' 10 IIt llpi, m
vi siutls). Ut hunl ami (;.Hlanl jln' srt1l
utlili",1 mm'I"-,,i,; li(' fn,nl,;. a mlln:, (Iitla('-
lil' m(MI{' of ad, In';;,, : Ill(' ;;nlemn \-oif'(, of
il' or 111(:on'li('al alllllOril y to;;;; ing it,;
dq.;uIII pl'a rl ,; Iwfon' ;;wi lw.
MarK!'r lI'illc'nll 17re ' .lI.'iI lIo1 . .JIl'l'tl wilh
a IIllHI111ful. mm ,;;l-'([uilurof
a jllk(': "I klloll' whal you wnuld (' 1111
tlll:S(' tt WtI," il "ay" of 1111' rinal remnant;:.
of Soviet elm' ma's long t 1l'll;llkd I",roi('
er.t- " DimNIII I'l' ." A
kerehi!I;" Imu,,!. "Bul yolt know what
to t ill ;;lf';ul of
lar pil,. IH' gl1 a ,.hol of a :<l11ilill;.( li lll f' /!irl
ITlldling 11 11 illn.rtahl( ClId1.il1a ill hf'r
unu;;-"Kids low' Pllt." 'I'll(" ah;:.t tr(1.
fonll(M)S(-ill-1.I Ui tk;;;aml :;I,itit of 1\1('(1\'('(1-
kin';; 1'('111111;; hf'I'f'. <\;; <1 ;; tr.tltj.\c
htl0Y"'M'y amid tllf' Stll'id Unioll:;o ('Ollar,;:e:
Ill\-' (' Iul of ll w linl' for a long-<1IJ;1ndotW1I
lruin. tll(' Iri."" hi"t"ry play:; (nming
hutH\' tn mo,;!. '1'111'1'1:'; n" , illlt'rlor in
\ lurker. 110 "lllil- I" n'l ,, ;u'rt'(l/profant'
:<t gnl!fltiotl: e\<t'n in 111(' agnl li:f.f'(1 f'(;;t;L.;;i{'S
of' lilrkol'sky.11I' tllI(IWPI'S" 1;11('lIt , 1111\ 1:<4;.' -
n1l'11t. tht' cxi,;tl l1lial ironif';; p .. nhed
allll\'(' th .. Ileml .. r-than-II. .. d pan zOll e
11('[11(" ' n Ilolil1(' ;:',. Hru ln.llhilll!t1('SS.
Anima ls hal'(' a slw(iaJ. folk -lIl1e-
goril ' pillet' in hi f" IW1II1: IIIf' IY'nl pmr-
tominlf' IlolS("" (1111 of l\1('( lw'flkin. lll(' lonc
11'1111'('" I",ing IIUI1I('(1 in the
la,;t frall" 's of A Grill Wit/wul (/ Cat.
And Il<Itllrall y. "rYl'li(' ('al;; tlwrn-
s(h('". a fal'oril(' Markf'r mnlif: Ihl ' nll
lempl(' ill SI/liS so"il, lh. ..lil}' digtli l1ell
put'U(I ... 1; ,"lagt' or I1le,lit' I'HI .. co,. lilllled.
pupi ... ('<1t -lwnpll' II tHI
lum;; tll' ill Grill ( ' I'h .. ('at if" 1]('l'('rOIl tlw
,;i<1(' or power"). El1llllem" of wl1leltfullk!S:S.
palieIH"' , Ihe}' art'
Marker's g()()(I- llIck l'Irann,;;. \1 anl ill l-( off
Ill(' 11I'nl il1'; lil1(' l;; n1ll1urf'd hy JIIush-
roomi ng (tllt s of 11I I'l'nmtlil y. 1'('111-11 -111:11'-
lyrf" . i" rorma tiol1 uffi(I"I';;' . tf'I l' l' ised
ltll l'('ali ty, lut('nwl ulld
all tllf' 'tllrel' pll'S.;oing di"I"l('lion;; Ihat IWill
in nUl' II'lIki ng alul ,I ... ,"ning tl1 irrds like
thf' kit"dry. nUM'k ing J"pan{w' hluwup-
.1011 nfMII11I'h'" TheSat'lIm Ihal nas hes
h('fnn' liS i lll.RI't'/ Fire.
Of ('OI.lr.W, I hal"f'one si1ting inlh(' ror-
rwr of living loom, loo-a Scrcal/l
"Oll14'iIll!" gal'p Ill(' .11" a fmld token of ::r
"lra1\,d lIi :, IIII )', Ihough Ilw Bed ,\nllY C3P
,, 11(' gol fmlll a "Olil'f'lli r I" laml ill Tiamm-
1lH'1l falling oft the poor
1IIIUgo:o: 111'1111. 1t, Ioo, il" a dinosaur of sol1s.
<11111. a la li lt' 0111' Markf'r's Eid grasps
like a 1('( lll y I war. if yolt look al it from a
YOII ran jusl ahouI see A Grin Without a Cat x 4 2
"ll1p Itl;.u-k 11011:' of hi l" lory eomlen!ie(1 in
il.<: "ill '1I1 haush, .. , moull1, ( l1111t "0" is also
li re spyglm.,, -Ipl,';ope shape 1](" 101'es 10
in>'l'11 inl lw framr: ;wming in. as it wPrP,)
"SlI llli" i" Ihe slimming up: ' a l\I:u'ker 1131'-
rul nr \1(Juld say: a dlt'ap novelty it em to
11 011' 11Iu('h tllf'aning can he empt ied
out If till' lI'odd in a lI'avf' of indifferent 111:1._ %
ImNitwl iOll. Yel Ihf' sanlt' inaninlllte thing
may al"o 1)(' fill {'d lI'il h personal ized
1111':<lning;<. mali!' a hc:won for Ihe future,
a 1"('1)0;<1101'), of memory, or a pinala whOSf'
illusiolls are ril)(' for the hursting. Con-
J'iou"nes.., i" not 11 II1I' me or a trope in this
\I(wk-i t's 1111' UlH'tlrelletl air hi s film"
hnut lll', ,','('n if Ihey sometimes must
dOll g<1" In Ila(11' Ihrough Ihe stf'nch
of I i('",
Wilh Mm'kt'r, Ilw "ame motion that
11'I'an .,. laYt' I':'; of f'1'I")('i ll iOIl also peels th ... m
I"u'k: hOlni llg ill oulh ... lX'aul y of images,
lie HI:'O i 111 l' frogat es thf'm f' lllll essl)'. Ad(1
Orl(' 0111t't' iudT .. hl l' (pralil ), 10 1I1is meta-
I)('tlumbm: the fact IhL"I t
hi :" fil llls art':;O lilllf' ( irculalal. so hard to
,1011' 11, .. lllay;;sornelhingof a chance
1'111.:0Un"'r. I ... Marker then l11e gn>alcst
li l illg film rlir('('tor (el"en lhough 11(' does-
11'1 makl' "fil111,," f'xadl)'. or quill" "direct"
Ilwm ill tl](' ("(111\'f'nlional Sf'nsf' of tir e
1('1'111),! I 11"011111 llwt hi s work.
Ilmugll un('W'n hy its vcr)' explorntol)'.
fl'el irl g- il s-w,ly- utlrler-1 he-skin nature.
I'{[ual s 1111' ohj('("\ i< of hi s an:lor. Ihligo.
MI ',I I'I,dkiu'" HOPfliflCS.s, Tarkovsk),'s Thc
-
3
JilimJf. Only nol in tUlll, but all at CHtCe, and 4
mon' a" wdl. Thl>rf' '" ,1 head: llUng ol'er-
a[ lullllatrct' of langenls. impression;;: . sell -
t<at iVlls, ali(I idt'11;; here Ihat goes agai nsl
any i<111ooth grain of s hrink-wra pped"
Il(Ix('{I-in. {'Ilifying perfeclion, "nlis is tI le
:o.igllahrn' nf f'ilu'111H's last di ssi{[ l' nt . like H
Mal('l'idl ('mss found in an ancienl
Hubll" painlillg. tile futul"f' alwady preSt!111
ill tire 11<1 :<1 and vice versa. thf' hiuerswet!t The Last Bolshevik x 2
luJI.rby of "l1t'SiII ivt' signs of liff',"
In otl]('r 1I'00yls.lhe Marker touch.
/-I/J1mrd HwnpuJ/l resides ill Ihat suburb
oflhe ZOfle A'mm'll (IS the Mojal'e f}eserl.
::ht' '-rl*'1 'f!:fu.re.
REMEMBRANCE OF THIN S TO COMi EXAMINES THE
PERIOD BETWEEN THE WARS THROUGH THE PROPHETIC
CAMERAEYE OF DENISE BELLON. BY MICHAEL ALMEREYDA
From the Bellon archives (left to right ): Salvador Dali , Henry Miller with Eve McClure, and Marcel Duchamp
" If tI mUll has teamed tn t hink:' wrot e
All dr(o Breloll. "i t ha rdly IlHlth'n. 11'11(1\
tU' is thinking. At bott om. 11{" is alwilys
thinking about hi s 011'11 death:'
Brl'lOlI is !I recurring pr.;:;;-
c m't' in Cllris Marker's lI e W
\,j.ll.'o. RcmcmlmlflC(! uf 17ring.s
/Q Come (Solll"(",;r (fUll un:"ir).
though lir e filmmake r him-
s ('lf- (l1I <,xtre mcl y agi le
tl.inkrr at 8 1-sidcstcps. or at
least fl.u ppre"se5. tliree! (,Oll -
lel 1l pl 111i ol1 of his 011' 11 mor-
talit y \l'lli]!' sea rc h ing out
hi s tori( ghos ts . clues . a mt
portent ;; of troged)' ill tlu' work
of tleparte<1 coll eague I)eni.(
Ikllon. Frell{' h photojournal-
isl and world lra\c! cr ill th(,
'l'hi rti (>;;. a linlP "when p0i-ll-war wa,.
IX'coming prc-war. "
Throughout the Thirti es and FOrl ies.
Hcl lon photogr.lphed Pari s slreet;; autl
WorIJ'" Fai r exhibits, madf' porl rui ts
of Bn-\oll and ot her surreal ists, .1IId
(' lll'Oni(,lt'l j Ihe ('hildhoo,l of h('l' 111' 0
36 FILMCO\lME\ T
udorabl(' {laughter" , 01H' of whom.
YUlllliek llellol1, slwrcs 11 directing
eredit 0 11 this film, Al so. U nI(>mhf'r
all bul forgoll.n Hepuhlil:all 1I11('mpl
to rcco11qUf'r Frall l'o's Spaill .
/{cmI'fIlUraflrt' lu CUIIII' is ..
Iv\ illgly oP<lqll('lrihut" 10 131"1-
lUll, a Si.ll ....
li f,,':-; work. bul tile film':-; full
1)O\\I'r and r('[1(' 11 ImH' , '\1'1)' -
thinglo(lo wi lh Mark,'r':. alli lil)'
10:'(' Jvom ill
,,\ .'ry image in lilt' phologra-
phl>rs ftr(, hil'('-to ('Olljun' ('On-
Iw" t ioll ,; h('tWt:" ll B.,llon'"
sui.jl"('t s uml lilt: ('urn'lll s /lf
f".,ling amllhollghl thal 1\(lUld
('arry thr wod,l ill lo \Iar. [t""
I\hal ('\Ient Mar-\.:,,. ha"
1":1111-'( 1 on Ilis rollahllmtor. :-inc('
1111' film's t'xplit:i l \'oil't"-t lw
Bellon by Bellon
n Ol\ of namlt",1 l.'OII1IIII.' l1I[JI)'-
is IIl1iqll ... ly, Marhr's_
'l1w nJO(lt, is di;:;cursin-. tlt ':<l'rip-
of lh .. Alliance Photo ugt'Il('Y (pre-
(' III'SIII' 10 Magnum) , Ih,' p holograpl l er
to gel out of IIH' hOll !'>c a
goml df' lI !. dOI' UIII(,lllill g Arri('!l, tinder
Fwut, h ('oloni.11 rule. u-giolllllJires in
Mf' gTt"h, prost itutes in mil -
itury pr(>paraliuns ill Finhllld, Rf' ing
J'-\fi s h (nl:f" lI ulmanll ), :-; h(> wai led
oul Ihe lI ar in LyolI-"('upitul of the
Ulltlfrgmund." infonTH; lIs-hul
b)' 1944 s h ... was al lurg(' in the
Pyrt.'n(-(-i;', T{'('ordi ug <u\ "ill;.uue" and
live. quit'k-wi tt NI. df'n"C. '1'11, '10111' is al
oll('{'ICII(I('rm1(l "toi(', A c"i1<lin t(Hlgh-h'UY
llU:Slul gia i,. ,.oll1('how by tl1l" fa(, t
thal Markf'r'" narnl tvr is a l\Onl<lll (A l, -x:m-
dru 51('\l<lrt) wi th U l:alm.lu("id As;
if crnholdl'llt'tl h) an airoffemi tlin('/ff' lilw
amUS{'llwnt , i11 limate a:;:ille;;; 11>1"","01)('
inlo riffs of wid ... -mnging "'I)o,,(u lation.
And. in this \oi (' .... Man.: d ..
aphori,., II ..
On locati on: " U( 'i n!!: a pho-
togruphcr IIIt'all S not onl ), to look hut to
"u,,11Iin Ihl" gazp of ollwrs:' 011
J)uchamp: " Hp wanlp,1 10 1'1'\'(.11 1111"
vani l), of m1, One ,lay 11,;11 1)(' Uiw,d In vill-
di("ah'llw 1u1 nf \'all il)':' 0111111' pomp of
Worl d's Fair;; in 111(" Thirtips: "11 S,'PIIlS
,hal IllIlions 011 Ilw H' rge of war mab' 11
poilll of pm'Ufling Ilwir wpallh," On 0111'
of 1lI-llon\ la;;1 ;; II ITealisl group portnlils:
"The hi slory of Ihe t','nhllis I'IHI will he
Ihal of it;; ma;;ks:'
ThaI said, Ilwl":" un f' ll gaging, ama-
huri" h "impli('ily 10 Ill,' movip, Thl'
filmmakers pan and zoom tlwir way
tl lrnugll till" with an OI'I,.l"ifJIwl
uwday of film foo"h'f'---St()(k nf \'i'WII
<I('l'i,1I rumhat, a (,li p frolll I-' ('uilladl"" l..es
l'rllllpircs-aml now ,111,1 tl]('n a j(IITillg
vi deo ('utaway, in (olor. "hnwing hands
nipl)i n!,; through 11 magazilll' or h(j() k. A
plai111 i"e s)'nlh iWMe (, Il fnr('('s a mOul11-
ing of ,In'mL
'1'11(' film S('f\('S up a fpw imagl's of
J)t-'ni,-;e Bellon her.;elf. glmlK)I'OUsly you ng.
wit h a wi(le. hright smilt-' in f'W;I) ' shol.
But her eagernf':Ss. opt imislll. an(1 S('IIS{'
of adventure are atl ribul c(1 to 1111" s piril
of tile time she WilS (Iotulllenting: hf!1" !"x'r-
sonal slOl), is impl ied. or hUli f' (!. in lwl"
pict ures, (A penwJ('tory Googl,> sf"H(, h
I't"vpals that shf' rai;;(',1 Iwr da nghlNj;
will l a S('I'oll(1 hus hallll. latN m[lrriNI a
thinl. ami dif'!1 at97 in 1999. Th(' film-
makers leav(' oul I:I('n Ilwf>(' bal"f' bio-
graphiclll fllds, )
" mort" lIwkward omi;;"ion, [111( 111 sig-
nificant measure of MarkN"s maslNy
as a l.'Onjurer, invokes the blunllnllh lhal
Bellon was nol 11 pW1icularly remarkahlp
photographer. Her piclures of ])lIli's
1938 World's Fai r show do 1101 ('oml)(,rf'
fu\'oruhl y with tilt-' lu,,11 (lIId loopy photos
Ily Eri c Sdmal n("('nlly ill Sal-
I;(I(/or f)rcam of Venus, do(' u-
1II{"nti ng them1i,,!,s 19:19 exllibition in N('II'
York. In tilt-' Modern lIisloryof
(he Surrealisl MovC/llI'nl. j u:;t by
Chinlgo Uni\'ersily Pl"es;;. tOlal ing ;;(11111'
750 pages. Hcllon's work is Ilf'illu-:r ('itt"!l
nor seen. Unlike, s1ly. I.et' M i 11"1". OIW of
llw f"ra"s Iml)' gi fl f!(1 eallwra-('an)' ing
i(ons. Markf"I"'s IlHlj;f" did 1101 I)()SSt"i'-S
an eXlmordinm), eye. Pedlaps Ihis m.lkes
Marker"s projecl more inlf'l"esti ll g, nl,l-
Ion was. simpl y and mysteriollsl y, a soli(1
wi lnes. ... a rel iable obselyer in Il:"nlOll' I"cll-
tions. a pllOlojoumalisl whust' pi"lures
hecome rt-'vt"lalory ()lily wlwll rf'-(',IP-
lioIH:'(1. neurly 70 years lalc'r. hy a pOd.
"lithe smnt'. tllt-'w's Clltli't" to l'I)IICf;fI"
that Remcmbrlllj('c of 71jillgs /0 COllie
rf'gi;:;I('I";; a l"!'ln'at from Murk,'r"s
,'onc(' rning fellow film-
makf'rs i\ l(,(h'f"dkin (The I m/
vik) and Tarko\"sky (Olle DII)' ill 1111' lift
of Amlrei Arsellev;(;h). You l'oul(1 tnkf'
tlu:St! t"ilrlit::r fi lms. I ike till ' 111.'11 0111', as
hrillianl. unoI1Iu.lfl()x ;;Ii d!.' lectures, hut
Ilwy also wurk as Ilflignallll JOj;tlll lllllJLJs
exIPll siuns of tilt-' fl; (' lIIlsll!11S tll('Y 1l;('Oll llt
ami tht' (' an'ers li lt,), fi'I' i{'w. TIH'y're
pmhingly ,:eall.' hing, lllayful, CI'I'1l
quarn,l j;ome. TIH'Y makl' tlwir poi llts
wit h risk if"!' i'i Il('fllut il' f'OIwf'it;; tInll ff'a-
IWI' mOI\' din'f'1 {'\'illl'ncf' nf Markers am .. 'C-
tion and SI'IlSt' 01"111>;;;, nwking cum'llt
pmj('('1 ':(,,'m tall lf' hy ('onlpw;soll , '10 WllHt
f'xll ' nl (l id Marh ' r kilO\\, BI'llon--or Bl"c-
ton, 1)11('11<.1111]1. HI'lHi Langloi:i , or all Y of
tll{' nlhf'l" appcarillg in Il lis fi lII) '(
1It .. s sf'lf-('lTaci ll g 1'llOUgh 10 clear
of 1M::l"SlJIlal allmissions.
Bul ,I \;1111(' Mtlrhr film is lI'illl by lIlIy
olll{'r stamlan-l. and illl'alual11(" under
any ('in' lIl\lslan!'f', Ami this latest hap-
10 1II' igh in with hcightl'nC(1 n'le-
I'<ln( '(', I)ppi(' \I>(1 as a rt'('nrding :.ugl'l, a
si df'ki(,k to WaltN Hl'njamin's Angel of
11 hlown haf'k war(1 into Ill e fulurt',
pml'i(les a rXll1nJit of a world
UIlflf'1" thf' ('loud of unS('pn and i nel'itahlc
W,I]". You lion", hal'e to look loo eloscly for
{Iin' parallels wilh th .. l'lIIT(' llt !'rH, UI' to
f('f'l. with Markl'r, an implicit ache and
,;cm'nill & As pmll:l'I"l llim
from (' Io!" I 1"( '11I1' 1111)(' r Ili j;
111l1 l1ls 11I'\I('r IJ.an his fa("('. Ill ' wa"
(,I UI ('hill g J. is "id\,o camera, onc of Ihe
"lI!'li f' st l'ompal'l models, whi ch he COII-
ff'j;sNllo 101'1' illllltakt' with him el'cl)' -
lli ll' l'I', lik, ' a ('l lI'ri slll"ll IWt. At Ollt!
point hf' s"t it 011 a tahlc (hi s knubb)'
klllll'kl,'s nel'('1' fa r away) ami, gri nni llg,
{'nmjl<m!ll till' eallll 'm to a cat. I II'on(leno:<J
then- and still Ilnnd"r, up tna Ix)int-
\l' IIY he cllo!',' tn "nlrust Ill(" 1I1II"raliOll nf
hi s films to I)('oplt' with ealm, IU'utml
The film.-; I\'oullll)(;;" ,Iiff,'n'nt
iflwllmnlted 111f'1lI BIIIIIIII)' lw
Ill' hi s \Iork aln'ady hl; mful wilh
his UWII personalit y. Maybe hI' IlUs 11
(l rt:am as all ohjl,(,tiw',llIl'id,
oliS\'I"\I'r. ;;imply
prl'fl'l"i'- to Iwa r his 11(lI"Ils spoken hy
i\lf'xarulra S!t-I\ar1, In any ('asl'. plainl y
enough Marker ij; inll'nt ()n rejl'el ill g
Ihe r .. [S(" anthorit y of rout i Iit' tloc'ulllf'n-
1<11)' I'oiccol'el", trading stall(brd (llIl1!!-
cui ine) .1.<;sUnIlH'e for Sllmdhillg 'Ill ieter,
mon'queslioning, alld, Ilot il1l'i-
dell tally, more
Wllill' Ile'n' Somf'w' II'I"I' Iwar thl'
suhj l't'1. I find it I' uriou.-; Ihat ill
thi;; new movi,". ,;alull's Hn'llJll as It
cun I" of I' i!oi ual i magi'S ( .. H(' had
a 11, 'rf(,(,t "}'(., a;; som(' ha\'I' pe]"r('('1
pit"!I") ami quoit's him al Il'nglli. hul
Bellon was, simply and
mysteriously, a solid witness, a reliable
observer in remote locations,
a photojournalist whose pictures
become revelatory only when re.captioned,
nearly 70 years later, by a poet.
awl' shadowing tll(' of pI'upl"
an(1 thingslhal no long('r
I hnppf'nf'fl to 1)(' in tll(' audif'Il('('
"'wn Murkf'r pn'!Sf'lIted 'I11t' 11oisliCl.'ik
(11 Ill(' Sail Franeij;('o Intf'rrlatiolla l Film
Fpsli\'al in 199,1. I km'll' of hi" i( ' ('1I1i-
fication with cals ami ow[s-el'a",iI'P,
pl't"(latory creatures-and hi s a\'l'l'l<ilJlt
10 Il('illg pl lolographed (lilt' mall ("all 1)(,
gli mpsf'd in a sakI" har.ll idillg Iwhind a
napkin, in \Vim \Vend("rs's 701.-)'0 Ga). t\
SIlI1)I; se, tllt-'II, to SI..-"t" CllI;s in Il l('
flt"sit, an impisll figure" unaffedf,d allll
f'\'I'1I l'oll1i(,<l1. wilh a qni ck 1l 1<l!11111('ring
I'oi ('f' mul a gi dfl y air of agitation--a Gal-
li(' Woody AII(Jl, ' hOI'f'("d in Ih(, s mall
('rowd aruuIIII J.im aflN tll('
llel','r /; ,'Is aWlIlld to t'nnfe,;,;ing an
ilppreeial ion of BrelulI as a l'ollscil'll!'!'
fur his gl' nl'ratioll , <I I'oi('(' ,'omitining
mOl"al imagination with Iyri('al impulses,
a Ixwl plI:<hing Ill(" 11f)11l1darje,; of ('\'1'1), -
Ihing 111" 1111I1l'rtook, Who otl1l'r than
Mark,'I', Ol1llis own iriios), neratit'
tl'I'II1",II1.IS ('arri"d Ihi s I'fl i,'(' into film-
Ilwking and inlo Ihf' ('ul1'1:'nl, perilous ('(.'11-
lury? Taking ill f' 1'I.' n hi s simplc,; t
1ll00' ie--{'ramm('(1 Ili lh illk linh'S, warn-
ing", and re('ognilions-it's impossi-
hit, nnt In f(TI a ru;;11 of gralitudiO,
Midwel Almereyda $ /alest film, Thiil
Sn-Calil,(1 l)iS'I:<t(' r, (1 dOCUf/lCII1M)'
l/Or/m;1 of So m Shepard,
A RARE INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF CINEMA'S MOST SECRETIVE
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIBERATION, MARCH 5, 2003. WITH THANKS TO
"What interests Ill!" is history. and polit ics only interests me 10 the degree Ihlll il i>llhe mark history makes on the pre-
sent." The French release of SUII:; soleil and La ) ctie on 0\ I) is an {'\' en\. as i.c; {'very furtive apparition in the news by
Chris Marker. one of Ihe great cinensles of our li me as well as Ollt" of the pri\utf'.
Marker. 8 1. has always preferN'd 10 allow his filmed images. rather than his image as 0 filmmaker. 10 spcuk for him.
Less thun a dozen photogruphs of Marker {'xis!. and hi s intervic\\s are cv{' 1l morc rare. The director agreed 10 UII inter-
view wit h LiMralioll vi(1 an emui l do-it-YOUTSf' lf kit: four lopies. \\ ill! ten (Iu('stions eac h. He did nol respond 10 every
questi on, bUl lhese 12 pag('s. allimes "frankly I)osloevskian:' more Ihull suli.<;riell us.
Cinema, photo'flore/s, (;o.HOl's. ddeo
iflswl/miOll.(-is there (Ill) mediI/m rOil
" 'rief/?
Yes. gouache.
Why Ilfwe rOil flgrec(i IQ Ihe release of
lome of rOllr films on IJI IJ, mu/ how (/i(l
),011 nUlke the choice?
Twenty yf'urs sepurul{' La jelie from
SmLf And anol llcr 20 years
mte Siml lo/ei/ from the presenl. Uutlcr
tilt' rircumstances. if I were to spf>uk in
Chris Marker "with my beloved cat and collaborator Guillaume-enEgypte."
the name of the person who made Ihese
movies it woul(l no longer lle lut int('I'\'iew
but a In fact. I don't think I
either chose or accepted: sOI11('body
talkt!(1 aboul it. and it go! done.'1Ul tt here
was a certain relationship 1)t;:lweenl l,csc
twori lms was something I wus uWll re of
IKlt didn't think I nawl to expluin--onti l
I found a small unollymoos note publisht:d
in a program in Tokyo thut said. "Soon
Ihe \'OYaw' will be lit on cnd. It's only tllen
thllt we" ill know jft he juxtaposition of
images makes uny sense. under
sland Ihal "e have \lrU)ed wilh mm. as
one must on a pilgrimage. each lime we
have been ill the Pl'eS("II(.'(' of death: in Ihe
rat cemetery. standing in front of the e
dead giraffe. with klllllikuzes at the
moment of take-off. in frolll of Ihe gueri l-
las killed in the war for intie'V'nclence.
(;
In l..ll Iht: foolhardy experiment to
look into the future ends in death. By treat
FILMMAKERS. BY SAMUEL DOUHAIRE AND ANNICK RIVOIRE
ANTOINE DE BAECQUE,
illg l ilt' saltlt' :;ul)jc('l 20 yt'ars I:IIN,
Murker hu;; OVert'ulIlI' dnllh by Il rayN:'
\Vhc ll you feud that. \\'[";111' 11 hy ;:;om('ntl e
YOll (1011'[ knoll'. II"ho k llll\\": nothing of h ow
,ll(" fi[ m,; nHlW tu Iw. you [('('I a ct' r1 ai n
emotion. "Solllt'tilillg" lw" happf>lwtl.
Wh c/! 11tI1Hl'll1ory. plllf CD- HOII. was
rc/clIsell ill 1999. JOu IIwl YO/l hod
fOlllld the if/m' I/I('(filllll. \film/ do rOil
IhillA (!f f)I /)(
Wi th the ClHHI,\l. il'" lIot ':'0 nilit'll
the technology that",; i!lllKlrtallt lL''' tll(' an,hi
led ure. Ill(' hrar1l'hing. Ill(' pl ay.
\Vc' ll muke 1)\ IH10\1", '1' 111' OH) 1("(.'11
nnlngy ;" obvioul"ly "1I 1)(rh. Iml it isn't
alway;; cim:nlll. Codanl ImilKI i1 OIl('e Hl1tl
for all: at the (" i,]('m1l . you rai;:;(> Y0ll!"
eyp;; 10 tire in front of11w tele,,;-
S;OIl. }VU lower 1111'111. 'l'111" n tlwrl" is till"
role of I he shutt('r. Ollt of t h(' t II (l IlOllr;,
you s]wlld in il 1I10\'i 4' tllt'ater, you ;;:'Iwnd
one oft lwlII ill thl' ,lark. ](" thi" 1104"1111"-
1I:.t I I}o11 ioll that ,,; Iays II ith lI ", that fixes
our IIwlllory or a film i rl 11 ll iffl' n' nt
IhilllIIH' Slime film "('I'll Oil t('I('\'i"iol1 or
011 a lIIonilor. But Iwvillg "ai,l thut. Itll"s
be hOIl( . .'''1. r l'c jU,;1 Illltdl('t1 thf' halld f1\l1ll
All ;\lIIcri<'ulI ill 'Ill tht' my
illook, :.tlllll \"I'ry ' It'ady the
lightllt'ss Ihal 1\1' r,1t ill London in 19:')2,
whcn I II"L-; thl'n' II ilh lAlainJ Be:mais and
IGhishl in] Clo(l' wl Il uring Ilw filmi ng
of SIMIICS Also Vie, 11' 11,'11 Ill" "Iarlt>fl
CI'f'l")' Iby by tlw 10 a.m. ;;:.how of
illI ilmcriculI ill Paris al a tll('atf'f in
L(' iccSler Squal"l " I lhought rd lo,;t lhat
lighl nC'i'S rorel"cr 1I 1lt'1I I till\\' il on (1.1.SS(1te.
f)ocs Ihe r/clIloc((l/bllioll r!llll<'
offillllllluA'illg (m. digilal ediling,
IribllliulI Ilia llil' IlI/ crnel) .IN/unt till'
cngagcd jilmmllA-er 1"(1/ rOil //(('?
Hen.'" a g,o. 1 OP])(lI111 I1 il y 10 gel rid of
a lubel thal ';;:' Iwen f< luek on me. For
lIlany pcople, "('ngagt'd" Ill('UIH; "1)(11 it-
i("al." ,md poli ties. the m1 of ('ompromi;w
(1lhich is (IS it "hollld Iw-iflhere if< no
("ompromiSt: 1111'1"1' is onl )' I1I1Itf' for(f'. of
II'hi("h wc' r!' ''!'''ill g an i'XlI1llplt"' right
now) bon .. ..,. me ,It'eply, Whal illtNf'':\': Ill('
is hi"tory. und IXJliti,' s intN('st;;. ftlp only
to th(" llcgrce thal il 1"('III'('''(' lI tl; the mark
hi"tory mukes on II w prisi'lIl. With an
o!Jst'sl'oiv(' (,lIriosit)' (i f I i{lt'lI lify lI'ilh
any of K ipl i ng's cha]";l("t("I"l'o, it's lilt' Ele-
phant Ikly of the Ju"t-So Sturies. h"(',Il I';('
of his "insaliabl(' curiusily") [ kl"'p a;;. k ..
ing: Hull' do 1)C01)le J11<1n<l1!:1.' 10 lill' ill "Iwh
a And Ihat's \\here my mania
conH'f< fruJ11 . 10 s,'" "holl' things un
I feed my hunger
for fiction with
what is by far the
most accom-
plished source:
those great Ameri
can TV series, like
The Practice.
There is a knowl
edge in them, a
sense of story and
economy, of ellip.
sis, a science of
framing and of cut
ting, a dramaturgy
and an acting style
that has no equal
anywhere,
and certainly not
in Hollywood.
goi llg" ill thi" placc or tlUlI. For <I long tinl(',
those who \Icrc best plal"('d to set' "ho\\
ifs goi ng" ditln't 111.Iv(' iIl "'t'S': to thlloOI..,
to give (mm to their pt'r-
ception without funtl i"l iring. And no\\'.
sudden[ y. tllf"se touls exisl. If " tnl e tlwt
for peopk like me it's u drt'lI 111 ,'Olllf'
true, I wrole .. hullt it. in u "mull h' xl in
the bookl('1 oflllc t)\ I).
A neces;;:.ary calli ion: tl1l' ",I,mVCI"a-
lizat iUII of lOOis" ellt,lils mall)' fin,l lI cI111
[l1I(llcchnieul COll str<linl:<. allll not
save us fl"()m Ill(' nt.'ccssi ty of work. OIl n-
ing a 1)\ ('alllf'nL dot's nol mngicull y con-
rt'r tal"1I1 on SOIllt'OIlf' II"ho doesn't hal'c
<lny m who is too lazy to ask himsi,lf;f he
h<l:< any. You can minialurize a" mlu:11 as
you wanl. hUI a film will al\,ay" H'tluin.'
H gnat deal of work-und 11 reasoll 10 tlu
it. '11J.1I Im-; the whole story of Ihe M,,.h l'tl-
kin groups. lht' youlIg workers wllo. inl he
po;;:.,:68 t'ra. 11;f'flto make sl-tmt fi lms al.oul
tlwi r own lives. and I' hom wc II;Cl:1 to I,e[p
on tht' h'dmieall('l'f'!. with Ihe m(':.t ll '; of"
tIll" linlf'. How they comp[ailll'd! "Wc
t'OIll(' home from "'ork alltl you a.'ik us 10
wnrk "ome mOll' ... :'llulllley:<t llck Ilith
it. mil l you hav{" to bcliel'e Ihat !<Omct hing
hapP'lIed thf're. Loct.:ause;m )'('III"S laler
Ilf' "aw Iht' m pn.'5cllt thei r films 1.11
festiml. in fn,Hlt of an allt'lIlil'e lIudi-
I'IWt'. Tht' mf'allS of the limf' 111IS 16mm
"ilt'ot. which m(";I rlttlm.>e-mi nute emnem
roll". a lahoratory. all editing table.
Ilay of mltling soullll--e\"el)1hi ng tlml you
half' now l; g111 inf<ide a litt le case tllUt fils
ill your hand. A lil1l(' lesson in modesty
for tll{' spoilf'd children of tod<1)'. just
likl' the spoiled children of 1970 got
tilf'Ir 1"5son in mOllcSI}' by pUlling them-
-"f'lv4's Illult' r Ill{' pat 1\lnagc of A Icxmlder
11'11110I'II ('h and his ("ille .. lmi n.
For 11](' henefit of tht: younger gelu.:n.ttioll.
Mt"'ll v('(lkin was a HU.'I.'Iiall fi lllllnuk!'r
who. in 19:klilllll wi lll thc n)('atlS II!Ut wen'
prop!;'!" to hi;;:. tinl(:' (351 nm film .. edilil lg bJ)\e.
111111 film lah in the tmin). essen-
t iul ly illvcntCl:lteic\'ision: shoot (Iuri l'!;: the
day. pr;nt and (XIiI at ni"h!. sholl" itlhe nexl
to the ))':'0111(' you filmed (and \\ho often
pm1i('ipal('(1 in thecditing). I think Ilml
it'" Ihis fi lhk'fl and long forgollen bil of his-
tory (MPfI \'('(lkin iSH'1 f'\'f"n mell tiOJletl in
G4'org(''' Sadoul"s hook. cOllsit1elwl in
its da)' Ihe SoVlf"t Cinema IIthl(') that
1I11(1(' rlil"$ a large pm1 of my work-in 1111'
em!. p""haps, t he only ('ohl.'renl part. To
try 10 p:il'e Ihe power of "pC'Ccil 11.1
II" ho don't have it. UIl(1. \1 hell its po:,,,ihl('.
to IlI'lp Ihell1 find Ilwlr 0\\ n mcans of
t'XPI-"",,::IOII. '111t'\I'orken; I filml'tl in 1967
ill Rhmlt'"ia, JUSI like th(' Kosol'urs I
filllw,1 in 2000. had nev(' r becn hcunlon
lelevi"ion: everyon(, was spetlki ng on
Iht'ir Iwhale. hul 011("(' you II U longcr saIl
,"
I hem on Ihe 100.1(1. hloody alld IA.'O--
pie lost iutt:re;;t in them, 'ti, my J!;rellt
;; U'llriSC, I OIU-(' found lII}sclf
tilt' t!<litirrg 1lIJ(lIIIesJlip PoIemJ.lfl to 3 gEOUp
of fi lmmakers in Guill('II- Bi ss.'lu.
u;;ing an old Ilrillt 011 nlsty rt.-cls: now
filmrnakcn; all' IHwing tlleir fillll"
for competition in Venic'c (kl.,\!p arl ('ye out
for tl1f' next 1II00; i( 'al hy Fiom I
foullt! lilt: Mt..'lht..'llkin syndrumt again in
u Bos ni all rl'fug:ee ('amp in 1993-a
hwW' h Ilkitl,;;; I\ho had le-dIlM.:(1 alltht: I('dl-
rri(IIICS of td{,1 i"ion, 1\ ith lIel\."'\:alk.,. and
ca ptions, uy pir.lIing sa tcllih' 1'\ aud
(;(Iuipmcnt supplit'J by an "\\..o
(nongol"elmn('ll tal org3niz..1tilJll), HUll lle),
(!itlll' t copy Ill(' dominanl languagf' -
Ihe)' jusI uSl' d the codcs ill onler to
eSlabli s h Ncdibili lY .unl rCl'l:lim Iht:
11t'1\'S for otller l'('fll l;('('S, An ext'lllpltu),
cXlkrif'ncC, Tlwy had tire tools unci Ihe)'
had Ihe 1K."C'C:>.<;i ly, Both arc iudi."PI"llSlhlc,
1)0 rOil /Hrfer lelet:isioll, movies Ofl (I
big 5(l1!I!fI, ur S/lrjiflg Ihe II/Iemel?
I ha\"(! 1I ('ornplelcly schi 'l.Ophrt'nie
I1'lalionship wit ll1(,!t:ll;:ion, WIW-'fl I'm ft'cl-
ing lonely. I udore il, part icul'lrl y since
,llf"rc'" beell cabl(" It;: curiom; how cable
ofTt'!'S 1111 ellt ire cUlillog of allt i,lolI',; 10 Iht:
poisons of stlllldard T\, If UIW II d work
slrnws n ritlieulous T\ 11101 ie alJOul
Napul('oll. }UU ('lIn flip uI'cr to Ihi'
tor)' Challncl 10 Iwar I lenri Cuillt'nnin's
brilli alltl y meall ('olllmenlu!) on it. If U
lilt-ra!)' pmgmlll makes us suhmil 10 u
paradt' of t'urn' lIl l}, fashiollulllt, fClllal e
lIIom;leI'S, I\C (',Ill change Ol'('r 10 Ml'l,.w
10 COil templat e Ihe IUlllinous fa('(' uf
,'I(, ll'nc GrilllaUlI sllrroUl1 dt,t! 11)' her
11'(,11'('''' :wd it's ilS if Ihe ot lwl"l' 1I ('ler
Now Ihcn' art"' 1110lllCllls 1I II('n I
remember I am nOI alone. and thaI's
1\'h('1l I fallllpa.1, The expollcnli .. 1
t.i "tupidit )' (lnd vulgarily is sonx!thillg Ih;11
CI'('!)'OIlC has noli ced, bUI it's nol jusl u
lugue sense of tli;:gusl-il's a concr('(c
qualltifiublc ftl("t (you can nwa,:; ure il
by the lolume of Ihe cheers ,hal gn-el Illc
talk-show hosl.", 1I hich hal'C grown hy (I n
ulHnning I1l1ll1].J{'r of dccibel s in tlIP lusl
filt ),('al's) ull d {\ (' lime against hUlllall-
ity, No! 10 l1I(;nliOIl Ihe pcnll<Ulcnt aggres-
sions againsl lilt: French kmguagt" , , ,
And since you ar(' exploiling Ill )' Hu.'>s-
iun pendmllt fou'onfessioll. t mllst Sa)'
the worst: I alii allergic to ('omnr("reials,
In the early Sixtit..'S. making<:onullt'll.'ials
II'IIS pcrl'e<:t1)' ucecplabl e: now. it's !'oOme-
thing Ihat no onc 1\ ill 0\1 n up 10, I ('!1Il (10
nothing about il, This manncrof pluci llg
10
,Ire lIIec-hanism uf ,11t:' li e in tlIP "NI' ic('
of pr.ri Sf' ha." uhlay;: ilTi'(lt(,l! rnt', ('\'en
if I have 10 admil thatllris (Iiubolicail.l.:llrun
()(:('asioll:ill) I-ollt'n liS SOInc of Ihl' mOist
image" you call ,,('t: Oil Ihe
"lIIall screen (Iralt:' ) "U "CCII tilt' ])iwid
Lynch cOI11I1l('rciul wit h IIlc blu(' lipfi?),
Bill 1')' lIi('$ allla} s ht, tl'ay 111('111",,11'(''; ,
allll there is a slllull {'On"Ollllioll ill
011'11 It'rminolo{::y: till'} ':; IOp
"hult of calling ,h(,III"",II"{'$ ""(, I\:aIOl'S:' so
lire), call t!rf'm,;t,ln'S ""('re .. lil l'':;,""
;\.Kllht: IIllwi.!!' in (llllhis'! Ft)I",he n:a-
...om' rnenli ont.. ... 1 abOle, anti 1I1111('r the
01110.-1'11; of kall-l.ut,. 1'1'(' said fOl '1I IUllg lime
tllll1 films "houi,1 Iif' 5(,(' 11 fir.", in Ihe-
and 11r:rllcl(,l'isioll mKl l'idt.."(1 un' only
,lwn' lo r('frc;;::11 your memOI)', NOlI ,hal I
no lurl ger han! uny linl!' al .. 1110 go 10 Ihe
Sans so/ell
l'i llt'ma. i"ve I "N'ing films Ir} 1011-
!:ring my f').es. I\ith an ('\'t:l" illCl1'asing ,;{1l5t'
of "i llfulness (thi" inter. iell is intiN:<1
I){'('oming 1)o;;.1000'lskian), But to 11,111111"
Inllh I no lunger 1\ at('h mon}' film", only
tI"IOti(' by fOOlds, OI'l'urio:.itics Ihal an i\1Ilf'r-
inlllllC{luaintalllT for IIU- on '1'(",
Tlrcl"f' is Iou lIIudl 'o S('t' on Ill c 111'1\", on
lirt' IlIl1si(' challll('ls or on tl l(' illdi"III' IIS-
alrle Ani lmll Challn(' I, Alld I f('t,tl my
IlUllg.' r for ficlion I1 ilh II'hnt is by fur 1111"
1110>'1 aecolllplishN.1 !<OUn't:: Iho,,('
I\ merican T\ seril'S, lik(' The Pmcli('e,
'nU'", is a knOl\ [(:f lgle' iu Ihclll, a Sf'US(' of
and ct.:onOllly. of ellil>s i.", u Sf'i('nce
of fnuning;)lwJ of clIl1ing. a dnulllltLl Ig)' alld
tul acting "tylc ,ira' ha,<; 110 C(Jtral all) \11\('11',
ami ('('rtairrl), no' ill Hollywood,
La J(' lee ilupired (f I'id,'o b) O" vir!
/JO/l ,je (//1(1 (I film by Terry Gillialll, And
thcre:5 "Iw (I bur wlle(1 "1..1' j elfe," in
jO/I(III, HO/I ' do YOl/fee/abollt /his Cl/It?
Does Terry Cilli(wl j il/wgill(l/ioll ill/er-
seclwilh yours?
Teri)''s illl:rgillalioll is rich ('nough dral
Ill('re's no need Iu play 1\ ilh
CCI1;1i lll),. for Ill!: J;! is a l1111g-
lIifiel'llI film (Iher(' (II"(' I)('()pl" II'/rulhillk
lir('), Ull.! flatt eri llg IIIC hy "-1ying oIll('rII ise,
11",1 1.0 jelCl. mudl hdler-,Iw Iwrlll
i." a pla!.-e), ju", one of th('
Ho\, \ idt'll, lik(' til e bar in
Shi'ljukll (1lello, 'Iiwlloyo! '10 know Ihat for
"Irrru;;t 110 ye.1I'l:i. a gl\Jup of JapanI'!;(; art'
gelling slightl}' dmnk 1II.'II('1.llh my imagl'"
CI'I' I), lIighl-,lra, 's \lol'lh more tu n ...
thill l 1IIIIlII.cr 1'1' that 11111 I'
ac('ullIll.lHlif'd lilt! desl iny of thi.-.;
paJ1inllar film, It 1111" made like a pi, ... ('
of (lutornati(' writillg, [ wa;:. filming I,
}oli lII(1i, in Ill{'
R'illil)' of Pari" 11.Xl2. I1Il1l,lre f'UphOI'K' Ili,...
COl Cl) uf""din:cl "ill('ma" (Jou willll('\I'r
makt, '111' "' I)' "c!m'ma l'I' lile") ami 011 Illl'
('1\,."\\';: day ofT, I phohlgl'lplrt'{1 a slor}' 1,li,l-
Il't COll1plf"lf'i y Ulldl' l); hIlHI, It was in IIH'
editing tl lat thc pil'CI .... Hf tile pll7.zle ('alll(,
logt:llwr. 3ml il wa:;II'llIlI' who dc"igm'll
Ihf' 1.II.l77.le, I't! h:.wc u h:ml time
for il. It just h:lPI)CII('(/, Ihat's all,
)/)// (Ire (/ lI"illlt'SS (!hi,'iJ(H): Are)VlI sljll
ill/eres/ed ill /I'orld affairs? Wlwlmake,f
)"011 jllmp 10 rOllr ftocl, r{,(lcl, shol/t:-
Hi ght 11011 tlll'll.' (Ill ' some l'I:r)' 01" iou;:.
reasolls 10 jump, :1IIt! \H' knOl\ ,11('111 all >'(,
lIeU th<l' I hal'e ICI)' liHIt-' d('sirc to "Ilk
mur(' UI)('lIllhclI1, Whut 1"f"lllain;; un' tilt'
Slllllll, pt' r."OIlal rCSI' ll lml'n' ", For 1111' ,
2002 willlw lire y('arnf II failllll:: Ihut I1 ill
nCI er IllL"':, I, iregill:> 1\ ilh a flashhack, a"
in 711{' BarefOOI CUllle,'WI. AmOllg nllr
circle ill,lre FOl1ies.111(" (jilt' we all 1'011-
sicleft'(l 10 hf' u futll'" grt'1.l1 wri'er I\(L"
\'Nnel. l it 11;1(1 puh-
buoks, all\l the fourth wa,,'o
be a ('oll{,(,tioll of s,on('S ,ltat II{' had
IHillt'1I ,lrt' Ol'('upation, I\ith a
I igor und (111 in;:olelll't' 'hat olwiously
I"ft hilll lilll(' 11 01">1.' 1\ ill l 1111' ("CIISOrs, Till '
hook l\ u"n' l publi;:.1r('(1 unlil 19-1.'5,
IIhilt:. Fnllll,:oi;: had liit'(l inlhclr:.lu,
me' lIl to labelll illl (IS u martyr-tlml',:; 1101
my style. En'lI iflhis 1I1:.llh pUIS a kind of
s), mholi(' s{'al 011 a de;:tin) tha, \Ia."
aln:all)' quilt' sillh'lllur. tlM. tt'"l" tll('fllSO; 'hC-"
arc of su("1r a 1, 1rt"' <Ilmli,)' Ihal thcre is no
1lC't.."(1 for tl',L"OI1S ntlrcr than li lcr.u)' ill onk, ..
' 0 10\' (: ,hem alltl introdu('f' them to oth-
C''l:\, i\ laspclIl II(ISII't 11 hl 'n
he sai t! in all m1i cit- ,ha' ,hey
\'CI"Se lillll' lI'illl only (II1l"xtreme liglltlU:.-,;S
of lx' ill I; liS 11 .. lla51." Bc(,HtI!'e last YI'ur a
coumgl.'Ou." publislwr, tlli chel HeYllaucl
( Iin:sias), f(' 1I in 101 (' 11 ith the book alld
look the ri."k OIf ",printing it. I di(1 cII'I1-
Ihing I eould 10 rnohil il,.(' pt'ople I kIWI\,
1101 in OIller,o l1l:akc il Ill(' ('n'nt of ,lre
SOli hUI si mpl y,o gcl it allOul, But
no, ,hcr(' Wf' rc '00 uluny hooks Juring
Ih,1I ;<ti.l"tllJ. E..xccpl for Masp(' IlJ.t lll!'!.: was-
n'l a \\'or,1 inlhe pnss. And so--illilm('.
Was thal I"eadioll too pen; umr1 "? By
(" hulI("1'. il 1I'<I::i pai!wl 1I IIh 11 " imil ar
(,I'en!. 10 whidt nu lilh- of fri c wl fi hip
allaehed Illt-". The saltl{" )'ear. Caprif'('i o
RI"I.;on..ls rclf'1lSCtt a n('w Itton.li llg by Vik-
101' UlIlllall. Under hi" name atolil".this
li me . Prel' iMI;:: ly, Il l' alld Cid('oll Klf'in
had been r(l.:ordcll as " Thcrc;::iell"t<lllt
(for younger reafler;::: '1'111""1'(>-
s il' nstadt WilS the Illodel conet'"lltmti on
('amp dr"i gncflto be I' i;::itf'ft by tlu_' Red
Cro;::s: Ill{" Na"l i;:: 111<1111' a 111111 ubout il
('alto. I nil' Fiillff.:r Girl's (j Cily /0 Ihe Jews.)
Wilh 1111" 1)(':"'/ intentions in Ihe wud,L [cull-
ing Ihl'm} t hut I\as a way of pull ing
them bOlh back ill t he (amp. If Mc>;s i-
uc n ltad ,li e<1 after Iw (-01111)0)81'11 Iht'"
"Quarkl for the EII,I "f Time:' 1I"0ul,1 h('
hr the "pri;;on camp ('omposcr"'?
Th is \"\'("(ml is II SIOlllldillg: it COII-
lains l il.!(l rr based on t(, xts by Holerlin
1111(1 Hilkr-. ,111(1 on(" I;:: stJ"tlek by Ill c Vf'!"-
t igillou;:: thougllt tha!. atlhat pm1i<:ular
timf', 110 Ollf'" was Ihl' tnl\"'
C(; l"Imll l (' lIhllre !non'than Ihis J ,wi sh
tllus ic ill ll who wa :, !'loon 10 ,Ii (" al
.. Thi s tiuw.lllere 1l'f1 sn' llotal
a fCII nalleling liul.";; olltll('
art s p'Lg'S. Wasn't il 1I'000th 11 hit more?
\1;lllutmak(",; me mall isn't Ihal II'hal we
ca ll "\L1I'rlia f'ol' f'rag'-" is
reservc,1 for p('opl c I pe r;::onall y find
mlher a mall('\" of Opi!1-
iOIl alld I \I j,;h them 110 ill. It'l' that Ihf'
noi se. ill th" .. Ieelroll it" ;::("Il ;;e. j ust gf'\ S
louder atul louder a ll d ("l1(t ;; up drOll \l -
ing out 'I'("\"ything. ontil it IX'COIIll'S a
monopol y ju"t lik( tlw IIlI )'
forN' Otl t tll(' cOl"llt'r ;; tor('s. ThaI th('
unknuwn writeralld tltf' hrilliant mus i-
Ci,l !1 Intl' \' tilt' right to tllf' I'amp <:ons i<l -
e racion as Ihe eorne!" store ket'"per ma)'
Iw too mudl 10 as k. Anrl as long m.
you' vc handed Ill" Ihe mi cropholll'. I
1\"011[<1 mlrl (Jn c more flame to m)' li s t of
the littl e i'lju;;ti N .. -s oftlw year: no oll e has
said cllollgh of tlte most Iwalltiful hook
I hUI'c \"\'(\11 fora long: tinle. short -" turies
again- I,ll Fioncee (fOdessll. by jfilm-
makcrj l':dgardo Cozarins ky.
1/(II'e )"(ll/r made )"ou SII .lpi-
ciolls (if (IO{!IIUllislII ?
r Ihink I was a lready suspicious when
I lI"as bCJr"lI. I Illust ha w travf'le,1 a lo[
heron:' tlt<:n!
.)al/1ucl IJOllha;re 011(/ Ill/nick I?it:vire
11
1
rile for Ihe Paris daily I,ihc rat ioll.
I once found myself explaining the edit
ing of Battleship Potemkin to a group of
aspiring filmmakers in GuineaBissau,
using an old print on rusty reels; now
those filmmakers are having their films
selected for competition in Venice
La Jetk
11
J(SJGf 1" olJ
HOW THE "GENTLEMAN AMATEUR" OF THE DIGITAL ERA
USES NOTSONEW MEDIA TO MAP THE WORKINGS
OF HUMAN MEMORY BY CATHERINE LUPTON
I Il'lIlc'mllt!l" diS('ussing \lark!'!'":; la;;.!
fC';lllIn film.ler!!1 Fil1c.lli lh a friend of
mill(' when it first nUllO' \lUt. Sht' II' ai'
g.rwmlly enlilu;::iastic.IIIJl hy what
"Iit' tlc 'I"{' ,il)f"(l .lS "an old mUII'1< vi"I\ of lilt'
1 lllt'I"I1(' I ." I did nol :; harp Iwr 1111110)' -
<!JU1', 11111 I ('ntl1d see ,\ hul slw IlH'.Ull. F.\'('tl
al ti ll' moment of i l s b.' fort' Ihf'
imllat' of [IH' ilf'ceierllled ol,,,cII.';;;('ptJ('{'
that mukf'l'. ti le IiJlll look .icfinili \'dy
dat .. tl. II If' enmpuler IltmhHIf1' ami di g-
i[;11 hy perml'flia IIOlh
HI ,, )I';l1" in l.Id Fire .... " arMJ had
I}(:('II 11.'"(1 10 (T('ale il- look,,I,lii<lindly
qllain1. old-fashiOlw,J, and dllll'''Y- The
A pplt I1 c:" that is i' t' CII ill llw film \I'll;'
lIut iI r('(;c nt model. wil h il" 101l'-resolu-
lion ,.;c-n'en and ll i5{:olurL'tl casing.
I ,M Imirf'( l lhe '"Gallery of Ma..k..
for its latmrl (-'vocat ion of"Lwmr" (Cal lwr-
illl' as 11 misc-clI-al!ymc of
n'(t'lling :rml ll mbi guvlIs Ilrojt,(tion::: .
11tH I for MarkN's e"id\'nt n'li"h in mllU:::-
ing: hinr"t-'If wit h flog"r Wagut'r.'" H ypt'r-
;;.ll lllio: huI np\'('11hel(,*, I
at IIU' ,rwkwarrl rr ess :I rld talk illl'f;f;. of the
I,fft',t", Ihpir ull{"olllfurl ahll' (,1"110 of .1
lal t musil' l' i,I,o n'i l1fol1'('<I
hy a hrashl y poumlirr:.:: ,,"urultnwk.
Up,on l"i osf'r. renf'llell. or n'('ulleclf'd
al"l llmill l;rllCf' wilh Marker'" .,I III ' r rt'ct'nl
llllrlliml'lli a works. I l'rl l:Ollllll'rt 'll fllr1lwr
plUl'IlI;tli\e h'n.:; iorL'l my 1l'C'eil'f'(l
" 1'11:<1' of as a new ml'l! i;! piolll' ('r
aUI! li t(' jarring shoch of IllI' 011/ or will-
fil II )' ardlai(". The J990 irl"lallalion Zap-
fling ZOlle irll'ilcs ranllom "ampl ing a11(1
mul t ilalt'ral ('xplomliorl of a ",ri<'" uf di,.-
I"ollti nllllll" video allll digil al hype nnedia
'W(I II f'rH"t''': yel plrysi('all y it flr;;1 slrikes
tire ('y(. as a ramshapkle, junk),<1n I asspm-
htag" (l televisiun,. and ('nmpuIPr
m" rl ilor.<. 11](' nuid passage of Iinemal ie
fmgnH'lIts ill Silellt Morie (9.5), ('\)111 1"011('(1
hy 11 di gilal inl('rfae(' Ihal mlldomly dt'tf'r-
the ord( r in lI'!rieh Il wllIl'd film
lfll'/ Iing lOll!' is 1:1<.u1 'if p,."nnau,.nt ('nl-
"f Ih .. NHtiullHI (]" 1\11 ,\10,-if'!1IC
(C"nlrt' G ..... ,.1;'s P"l1Ipitillll). "ari ::: .
42 FILMr:() ,\t\1f:r-.T
se<lllell('"" awl inler1il1es appear 011 fjl't"
l't,.1ieally :;t:wkt'Cllelt'\'isions, pulls 1ll.lilL';1
bolh lire 111",111119(' tun' of Ihe old 11I01'i(' ('li llS
Ihal 1IIII'e '11 ;.uIll,led alll.llt..'f'rracted, Hll,1
Ill\' sol id II'l'ighl of Ih(' en.dE" steel to\\\'r
desiglled 10 hnld 11u> 1'\ S, II' hidl ]\larklr
Je,wribc" u" 10 1l1lSsilltl COll -
slnwlil' isrll ill bOlh f01111 <l llll rougl uw;;" of
IllUl(";als. "nw 115('r ill slnJ("l iollS for lir e c n ..
t{m! IlItlllemory (98) l.lIltil'ip;.tlc and eUlltltr'r
the I(:rll ptal iOIl of hi gh-spet:d proccs;;i ug
by tinnly 11rt> user "Oon'l zap: tak('
your lirl1l ':' Imml'/lwry prl:!scnes tl", I'ad},
lec!rrliralli milalion!>. of lhe C1Hm.\1 lI'ith
ils !>. maU Quick' lime virlw loop;; irl tJl\' Cill-
ema Z(J11(', amllhe and
lags thal gil't' Ihl' ust'r no optiolt but In rr:r\'-
ip:ale slowl y 1Ilul palipnll ),.
Markt'r hirmwlf offp.",; an I'xpl anatiol1
of sueh l"Ol llrwies: his 110tioll of "nail'e iltul!"-
mali c:s. '" H,' ,'ompares hi s creali ve ll;.;{' of
tligi llll aml l:OmpUll'r lools 10 Ihe II"llt"k of
2Oth-l:CllllllY pri milil'(' pairltf'rs lik, ' HC:llri
ROllsseiILl, ,11',,('ri bing himsl.' lf as a "SUl t-
da), a ptnlleman :mrall 'llrof
th(' digilal em 11110 Il'jr<:ls professional Imitt-
ing and "lick pruduption "ulll,;:s in fal'Orof
mea ns Ihat may IX' limiled II ntl
obsoletl' but Ihut allow him 10 n'l1H1in
1n l(,' 10 hi!>. 011'11 \' i"ion. Mmkf'r allil1l1:" Ili s
10 \Iork in an m1 is:mai fashion \1 illt
tools IIC ( 'ill I l1u .. ter Ilimsel[ mllrerllrwl
ing for mor"t! C(luipml!l1t mill
erreel:; Ilral would re<l uire th(' ('VIJI)('11Ition
and eollallOnll ion of profess iol lal h'('lrni-
cians. pnlllll("(' r1"' . arl(l fl rlat]("icr-s.
Illumimrl ing as these px plarlalimt:"
an::, tlH'y do not :rcpount for whal inkr-
CSls lilt ' mo;;1 aboul tire dialcd i, ' of 111' 11'
and oulmOl!( .... !mediu in Marker's n:cclll
proj ectil: lire impacl of Ill(' "sIIOl:k Ilf tll('
old" UI)()rl 11l )'!>.elf a,. il \'ie\\cr or u:"el' IIf
Marker'" work!>.. whip]1 manifesls il self
illld embmTa,.sment, a (Ii s-
local ion of my ilens(' of hOll' such o"lc n-
sibl y cuttil1g-edge works oughllo app('ur.
I imaWJI(' my 11"<"K:lioll to be somet hing likf'
that of Waiter Benj amin. faf'(.'{1 wilh Ih('
sl)(''l.:taeit' of th(' fading, olltmOl.l(:t! an:ad, ;:;
of c'lrl y 20th cenlu ry Pari s. Ma rk,!"':"
('asling uf Ihe ttoVIl and ti ll" <l rcha il'
in ir is rlt'1I' trIMl iu work,. fUllctioll"
ilS a ('fi tieal gestun' H"',rlli llg: Ihe llr-iri ;;-
101')' of l:Ulltf"1l1pumry
<ohsolPle, forgotten, allll di"nllTINI foss il ;;
- ami tl ... ;;1wll of a hOl11oge-
IlPOll S. flllurf'-urit ' l1h,!It>(lulologil, .. 1 prt'-
!'''' Il l. w!ruse hi st ory ha;;. ht'e n ('it her
('v<leual('t.l ur marlufa<"lured.
Benjalllin's Se ll"(' of lri"lury fon.: ibl y
olllilt'"ratetl ami rCII ri l1 . rl I<r s uil the ide-
inl('rt'Sts of tlw is
pxplif' itly by i\1:u-\.wr ill hi,.; 1932li1m Smls
sofei! . Hislnry,llu- ("ollml('lll a ry lells us,
"thmws ilil empl y hott 1(,,, "lll of til e will-
doll', b]ork ill g nWUlor y as you
hl()("k )'our pars:' Sf/liS soh,il offer",; il ,,('lf
as an ,lign'""il'l' mNlit.rl ion ou
lilt'" mle of film rept\.,...ut:rliOl IS in ( re' lting
11i "tlll), am! nwmol)': in Ix'(:oming
Ili story allll me mory, /I'; tire
]la;;sage from 1111" ('omml ' lIl ary puis it:
"J rem('nrber tltal lnon[ll of JallUaI) ' in
'li)kyo--or miller I n'lI1enlllt'r tlrc
I f"ilnrell in llral monlh of Jallu,t ry in
Tokyo, They hal'(" "uh"l il llted
s(' ll'es for my (In' lil y
111PI1l0l)'. I \loml" 1" holl' pot'opl ... remt'll1be r
things who dOll ' 1 fil lll , don't phol u)!;rapll,
don't tapt. 11 011" Ita,.; In,ulkiml m .. naJ!:pd
In t"f'llteIlJ)('r"? I kllO\I--llw Bihll'. 'nw l}{'\\'
Bihle will hl' Ill\' 1"I, ruallll'lgnetie tape
of a tilTle Ihal wiU haw' In 1"f'll'ad ilself ('(111 -
"Iantly j nsllo kilO\\' it ,xislt'{I.'"
'11lese oft-quoh:lllitH''' ..... Prll lu offer'l
ptX'lic l"Olmbonrtion of IIIf' fami liar !()wI(I-
ing principle of Ilw "ludy nf
thal rl1l"1ll0ry i" alll'llYs 11 1"('11"0-
:::pccli\'(' rcpre;;;l'lIlalion of 1)OlSl (,Icrrl s.
th(' di red of Ill\' pasl
in the prpi;t.! nL Tht' 1I"0l"k of mCIl IOI)' is 10
Sf' ]('('li\'e!y I"es hapl ' 1111' l',ast, 31111 il" p"is-
ten(:e llerll"'llds UI-:'111 thp Jl1.u1ipu!ar nll .. liurll
in \\" Irieh memori .. :; arl.' :n'l ieu!a t('(l -
wlwll ler spokerl h,,,t illlnrrit'::: , 11 riHen 1'I'i,' -
oli('('liorrs, mltL"- or nluhiunlia
install alions, In !wft'if m('mor;p;:; arc
manifeslNI as film iuwgl.':", 1I illt IIIP (Iis-
tinction lx'lweell "ul'jl>('li vp 1l1e1ll0l)' allt!
\'i::: ible image erm;l:l l. TIlt' :::oumltmek uf
,.
.


Ghost s wi thin and wi thout machines: Level Fi ve (above) and Sans soleil (below and inset)
, .
The new Bible will be the eternal magnetic tape of a time that
the fi lm consi sh:; in pm1 of spoken recol-
lections. but tht!S{' l'f>,l(h us hy al1e;.u;l lwu
,Jrt' allrihutf'd 10 a fic-
tiolluJ ('UIlIf"T<IIII,1I1 !lamed Samlor Kraslla.
an<1 prest'lItt't1 ill the form ofldters read
and conHtlCntt'(1 upon by un unseen female
narmtol'. Thi s (l i splacemf'1l1 of memory's
!'OUll'{' al!'11s us 10 the fae l that ('\'C'1l the
mo;:\ appill"{nt ly spontaneous v{'rhal rec-
oiled ions ml' seh": '!f'fl and given slwpe by
eslablishet] fonns of J'('pn:.-'SClllation.
Sans .sofeil signifi ca ntl y ant icipates
the L't!lltml pn-oN'Up.:ll ions of l\1arker's later
fil m and mul1inwrlia projeds by sug-
gesting hetween newer
media technologies and memul),. It cel-
ebrates tilt' f'XaAAf'11l1ed visllul mulations
wrought upon miml'l i(' filII) footage oy
Ilw {ji gilal imHI;" syntllf!;; izf'f known as
tllf' ZOIlt':' prl'<:'i;;f'ly l)f'('ause they
gil'e c:om:rett' all(1 gra(,f' ful I' isual fOllll
to tile {list0l1inp:. transforming opem-
tions of ren](>mhrafl(;(,. '111e Zone blocks
tile illusion that mimetic images of
the past gil'(> whi ch is that we ('an
han! inm]{'<:l ial(' a("(:css to that pa"t. Its
syntheti c imagf' manipul.ilions fundion
bot h and metaphorically 10
underline Ih". irn>tri;::vabilit y of the
past. Ille of lllf'molY wo; selective.
tramiff)]11l aliw. an(l 1"1'1"11 aeslhetic rep-
resentalion. :md thf' fact that. by vil1u('
of Ille nov(>IIN'llIlology adoptt!d. mf'lllO-
lies are always fonllcd in llnd for the pre-
sent.
Prinw(1 by such insiglll s. Level r'it-c
('yberspacc as Ihe Jllf'diutll fu r a
concelkd hi storical inquilY inlo the Bal-
tIe ofOkinaw;l. the lasl conl'enlionallmt-
tIe of W\I: tt. It ('nfol ds 11 dOCUlllf'llt ary
investigation of Ih;:: hllll+.; and its tragic ('()II -
sequen('f's-Ih(' (leSII1JClion of onc Ihi rll
of the civili an population alltl
the mass ;;uif'idcs 111,11 followed tlw (lcfeal
ofthe l apane;;". army-within a fieliollul
al1lwitm' thall"l"'imagint"S Ihe l1alll(' as all
unfini sllf'd ('ompuler game whose cre
ator has (lied in mysterious cilT'ullIstanccs.
leavi ng his lover. Laura. with tIle ta.sk of
complding it. l...auras hi ;:.loril'ul fl.- -'l;t':arch
into Ihe halll e is enlirely rciiml l oll lhe inli-
!lite reSOllrt'eS of Optional World Link
(0\\"1.). all altef ego of Ihe World Wi{le WeL
that is ahll' 10 SOUI\ .. "C infol1llation flUlI l evely
existi ng and poss ihl e datalmse 011 tile
plunel. wht'lhl' r pasl. present. or future.
The game ilS("lf is progmmmed II ilh the
moml COIt"('i;'I)(-C Ih':II refuses to allow l...atulI
to play th", Angel of I-l islory alld alt er
11
the OlItwlUc of the ],a1l11' to plU(lucc a mon!
palatable !'e;u1t; instead il fOrd!fl her to {."(Ill-
front dn::udful testimOllies to Ilw full hor-
ror of the baIt le mid its deadly aftNlllalll.
Markf' r's ills istent use of !WW tech-
nologies us {.'()!Itluits of human n'k'lllory wld
hi storical representation ofTf'I'i< a c-I11Il-
lenge to the argument prCSt' nte(1 by
Amlreas lI uyssen ill his 1995 hook 'fir 'i-
lig/a Mell /IJric$: Markillg 'lime ill (/ CIII-
lure of AlIl erit:a that Ill ' \\' media arc
inlrins ic<lll y lIn;;lIited to Ihe [lfO(l';:.ses
of pri vat e <lml 1l'lIlemhr.;I.Il((,.
Il uY::;I;c1I accounts for our ("ulturdl ohses-
s ion with 1Ilt;:lllory by il ll ggesting that
melllory and memori al adivi lies fun(
tion a.-; 11 "reaction fonnalioll" <Ig<linSI a \tm
poral crisis brought ul)(Ju t hy 1111'
Level Five
e\,er-actt,lfral ill g rrnce of tf'ehnologil 'al
c!wngt. ami hy tIlt! insidiou;; telldf'lll'Y of
Ilew to IIlllke all th .. infollll<ltloJl tlmt
tlwy pnwl'ss uppear of ('qual vu Jue. For
HUYI'I"t" II. lIIemory I"f'prf' sf'lIt s a J esin'
fOf("ontf'lIl,fhltioll 1;In(1 t('mporul grouJltl -
iug in a worl(1 dominated hy "plmr.llng ulIII
oftcn Ihreatenillg Ildcrogenf'it y. Jlon-syn-
chroni ci l), amI irlfonnation
In to Huys.sen";; r.--ssilll istlc Vit'II',
Ihe di gi tal IIlIdi':l hi storian I ..... v Manovit"h
propo."(s .. strik ill g am' lit )' 1)('111'f't' !1 11ell'
Ill{.'(lia an(1 IIIt'1II0ry that eloSf' ly f'ehoes
Marktr';:. preoccupati ons. III hi s esslIY
" What Is Digital Cinl'ma?" Manovich
"'l1lc logic of replacement. ('haf-
at"ll'ristic of cilli'ma. gives way 10 the logil'
of addition mill eoexistence, Time 1Je(."Om{.'i;
spi.lli .. liz!'tl. di stri[,ut ed over the surf"act' of
th. , scree n. Nothing IS forgotten. notlling
is .:m;ol. Ju:;t Lt'> wc U5f' {'"OInputer.> to aa-u-
mulat(' , mll ess ",xIs. messages. notes.
and data ... 'spatiallllotllab't" accumulat es
c\"(:nts UlIII imagt.:S as it pmgresses II1IUUg!1
its IlUlnllil'(:. In {.'()Iltm.<;t to <:i ll1'lIIa8 scret>n.
wlli d l primaril y fund ionf'(l as a recolTl of
[")(]"(;f'ption. the compuler screcn fune
tions <1 1'1 11 record of memory. "
1.L'!:et ILIum aJlticipalcs i\1unovidl
wlum ii hc im1lb";nes explaining 10 it futu re
dhnogn.lphf-'r how. at the close of tllc 20th
("{'lltUl),. people worshiped household
familiMii named compulCI"8. 10 whom
they would confide all Ihl'ir memories.
TIll' logic of coexis tf'l1(,f' also under-
the en-HO.\! form ass ulllc.1 hy
Markt;: r's ImmemQr),. WIWSf'
zolles onf' may lIavi gate ill any dir('l"Iloll
anll ortler. ami where one cun slip frolll
(Ill(' zone to anolllf'r witll the click of a
mouse. [n Ihe intn:xlucto!), text to Imm/'III-
or)'. Marker contCll ds that 11](' virtual
anhiteclun's of eyberspuce allow mutll
applm:imaliolll'l of lhe ,de':ltoIY. 11011'
li near {hift of ac-tu.."11 hUII\;.1I1 ...ollf.'( tioll
tklll do oldf' r mf'{li a like film. TIll: Cl}
tlO\l formal has all owcrJ Marker 10
realizl' tl1(' long-cherislux l projet.:l of
erealing a topography of hi s 01111
memory. much more dTl.'( lively tll1Ul
solei! and the earliN phot o-
film !f Iliad r'our Cameb (66). l.IOth
of whie h mu y be as [lrulo-
typf' Illf'mOl'y-maps in \l'hieh Mu,ler
refl ect l'l. via lhe intennediar), of alt er
egos, on a former period of hi l'l OWl I
hi story amI crC;l ti l'e work but whi ( 11
remain rf' strict ed by tlw li!wMil y
,lIlrl fix('d temporal rat e offilm.
MlIl'kt'r's awareness ml{1 repu):';('nlatiol1
of IlK'lllOIY is. however. more tllUll
I hav(' suggested :;0 far, Whil(' hi s \Iorks
give il111ieate fOnl11l1 rt.'(:ognit ioll to the tnl -
illll) thal memory is always selt..'<::li l'1; rt;: [I-
I'(';;('ntatioll. i\larker has also II' rill ell " 1
t"I(lim. for the image. the humilit y anti tIl e
I"lOWf'rs of a IllUdeleine." The inl'O(;nt iOIl
of Pmu;; ti an memory acknowl('dgcs 1111
affN'tivc cXI)cliellce in whi ch an arbitnuy,
unwillf'(1. and tri vial expelit'lJ('(' (fmll .... usly.
for Pmust. the mouthful of 1I1U(lddl1e
M..'1ked in hCIh.:J te-d) tliMr.; th.> (:omplcte
IT'llIril of lll e subject inlo (I li\ <:1.lmOlllclll
from their IXlsl. In proclaiming tire image
1lS a ma{lel eint'. Marker puIs 11 (lifr"n'1l1
t;.-\SI on the memOly-imagr.:s of Sons :;vlcil.
If the cameraman's foolage b+';COI1I1;S hi s
memory, perllUps il has [lIT."ci!'Cly Ihis power
to ret ulll him involuntaril y 10 lhat 1Il1)1ll(ml
of hi s past. oulsi(le hi s habitual.
flX;olleclions. [I is no longcr lhe presenl
that gives shape 10 the past. hut the past
that s pontaneous l y amI ('omplelcl y
rcasserts ilself in the prc>'cnt.
'111e access of memory pml"ok{.,1 by the
will have to re-read itself constantly just to know it existed.
ITllld,'I,';IJ(' lillks 10 my unsettlinK ('XI)(:
ri/'lIe!' of Ill(> archaic wi lhin II\(" 11('1'.'
d recent wurks. 130111
difolmpl the ord('rl y tempo-
Il.lI it y ,,r ill what Ik-njlllllin wOll l.,
Il(\vo: ' Ill4Jll ght of as the "myt hical"' pr-e-
:-WII I. whil -I! ii' ("pr1a in of it" 01'.'11 identit y
in pai' ! anu ful wl'. and when'
.. ' s:< from ,hp pas t into Ill('
fu!ur!' apl ... ttNi preonlainNI ami fn:c of
innUt'1I1'" fmm the hi stori cal furets of
hU1Il1I1I , -llOiN' and 3('\ioll.
TIlt" 1II}lhi(; al prcsf'nt i s csrw1' iatl y
,Iominall\ inlh( realm of (li 5(;oul's(' about
IIl'W It'dmologies. alt hough Ihis pOII!'r i s
Illullif,s\("fl. ]l<lrauoxirall y. us till im, i".
kil l uri,'lIti11ioll toward;:. the ful ure". Til e
mnliu hi.<; IOliall Wi lliam Boddy hU.'H:XUltI
of the 1lI}1 hical dimt! ns;ons
ill Ilw of populur dis
1IIIIIllI \';l1ual realily (\ 11),
;ng ' Iom Gunning's ohservatiun tlmt
"I''t'hnol ogy can rPI'cal lilt! dH'Urtl
uf ,-()(';fiY;l:S llllX'h as ill> pr"Wnalie
n'ali;.al;on," ami e.xlf"nding illo indude
lilt' Wll}"" in which we illla/o\i!l(' 1I1lt!
nf'W technological dew' lup-
Ill!'lIt!l. B(l(ldy remimls us Ihul 1('1'11-
rlolugi\'al progress is lI e\'el' !'l impl y
Jl(' ull'lll. pmgressi\'e. and pnlcticul.
111.11 is :u'lil shal.led hy unt'orlS(: ;OUl'
f;J('1 'lsof Ilf.,.. i .... , and wish fulfillmcnt as
111111"11 as ('ollsl'iously fonnubt l.-'( I inslru-
11I"lIlal IJ(-('ds, He argues thlll I\l' ure
illl,lilll"] nr il1l itC'(i lo lilc so lIlu('h illlhe
fallla,"y IWrl t! of what w(' Ihillk tP(huulogy
('UI I, ",hlllll,1. or might he Ihal W( ' igrllJ''e 1111'
gill' Iw\ll('/' II fllll ta .... y potential mid IJl'ag
itwlil' Pul Ullollwl' WII )" W\'
of" 'Ill 10111'1 w'lmowl<'flw- Ihulthe h,d1l1ul0ID'
I\(' Ilu l'" 11\11\ dues not match up 10 OUl'
rnythi<: Pll*"tion of its (mtller Ihan our own)
B(kkl}'f'ontrasts blilh." uffi r-
lI1ulil I' ('1;1;111;; nl<ldp h)' early of
\ 1I 11 U11 it wuuld allow users 10 t'Omplelcl y
I11 l'n'lllItl' 11 1(' ,;of'ial and php;ical I ill1ila-
,If 1I1I 'ir 1I(II1ies wi lh Illore cauliolllll)'
111tI1 n'mi lKI w. th.'ll the body
"allllllll)(' ImllSt'ended!Jy VII. oll ly km
pural' il y n'IIt'/'1'1'Nl and forgollt'II,
Markl" "s work" offer an alll'mali \','
1II1'II11S !If HH\' igating Ihc gulf
tht, fI 'ulit y of technological d('\'elup
nll'llt s (\llIlllll'ir fantasy potential. Tlleir
apprmlf'h i:-; 10 imoke Ihe m(' lI1ury of
1111' fulun' in !lnler 10 cslablish a
il' al. ratilN than a mylhiclll. Iwn-pel;-
\Ill 1111' pr,'senL The timl' lrule!
I1lLiTHli\l'nf I,ll Jetef' is perllllPS Ihe musl
olll'illuS HlIII lilt' 1ll0!'i1 I;umph'x (' SUlll '
piI' . The pa;: t of the film ('orresponds to
t1](" pr(-;.;ent in 11 hidl it was made. Its fic-
tional is hOlh an imagilll"d future
IIIIlI a Ilwlaphori('(l1 di s pla(,(,ll1cnt of
traumalif' IIfl1llah(](1 (If I)()Slwar
EUl'II j1'.'s Il isloril'ul past umll hc imme-
tliul" pn'St"I1. '1'11(' gll anls in th('lIJlder
groUlKI priSlJll (';Imp wh('I'I:' Ih" h"I'o of the
film is u,,('d for timf' Imwl t:lCp"rimel1ls
spc<lk in Ct'ml;ln. aml lhcir a('lions. ;llso
il1\ ok.' the {-'"I.'n;:;\'! Uf' of 10l1Ul't! by thp
FWlldl authorilies ,luring Ihe Al gNian
\lur, '111e fulull' IJfUl)I' r in 1.11 } f:/t:e is a",' ;
l'IIN'rict ion projpt,tioll of perfecl(,fl
humnn f'apahili ly. wllil'h. !'. igniri cll nll y,
i,; IIfrl' lwltll tl1f' film'" 11('1\1 but whit'll he
rpjPc't,; in f<l\'ol' of nnnihilnl iOll in 1111'
pu.;;I. SailS soleil /It'St' I;I.,!'. a film Ilmt Sail '
Sans sofell
rlnr Kras na 1lt"I'er made bUI that II(' \IUS
going to cal l S W /.S solei!, It t'Ol K.'t.' nl1l a
Inlle!er fmm lIlt" )'f'ar 400 I who r('lurlls
10 hi s planet's 1.I<IsI, 11(' is dmwJl by It fmg.
tll ellk(1 Ilwlllory of the M y sung
gave Km<O; I1I1 hi s lille, and
by 11 compassiollal(' fa:'ol:imlt iOll wilh Ihe
"Ihinlworl(]f'r.> of timl' ," \lhu an' doomeJ
to Ihl' pain of fO'b't!tting. ],ut who,
of Ihis. I'njoy f' lllotiollal clCpen(,Il(,C!> fur
(' ign to own t'po('h, 208 J, a ten,
minut c mm ma(]t" hy in 1984,
illlllgine1l the Frt'tl(' h lrade union ('('nil;;:'
IIUI'Y from anulllf'r 100 relll'S inlo Ille
flllllr(: and t'xplif'itl r l'l'llliml" I i;': l\CI"$
Illltltll(' !'Ihupe Ihat hi $lul1' mighllake in
1111' Illf'anlinlf" is entirel y up lu Ihem,
l.el:el f 'iL! projecl/; it ;; visiull of the cupac
il)' of tllf' Inlt'rnf't into ,\ scicn('('ficlivll
fulure horrowt!tl from WiIliam Cibson's
110\...1 NellroW(IIlCf!r, in wllich C'OlI1pulers
usNS "ja(-k in." f'Oml('('li ng their nerwus
S),;t('lllS djl'f'('ll y to thl' ndwurK, UT'CI Fil,'(!'s
imugillClliwly f'nhmlC'('(1 I'II]Jm:itic:;; for 11.1;;:
World Widf' \Vt"h m:lkc fur a ;;l l'ik ing
j uxluposilion wit h the Il lu ml all(: lvuk
ill g IlJHI oldfas hion('d ledlllologil.:uI
huruwan' Ilwt aPI)f'ar.:- in Ihe film, Ululer
lining (rallwr Ihan ('I iding) tllf' gulf IIml
pxists I.H.:I\\('I'" 1111'111.
TII\.',;t, ('onl'f' il" Mt!
c(,11uinly pl ayflll. and Illay sef'lll mlher
tou ubl'jl!u;; ill tl1l'iT Ilf'at Tf"VPTSnl uf
CXPI..'ctHl inll s III h(ll'l. ' n1(1(' 11 ,',;Iil'al impact.
Ypt tl lcy (10 nfrl'T un in;; i;;tl'l1l remind.'r of
tl lf' 11i;:lori"alnature, by ;mok-
iug u IJl'P'IK:" 1 ilt, fmlll 1\ hil'h our present
has it:-ll,If IW('lImf' uiJsurilf"d h) 1I1)'lh:
eitlwr ;('olli .. 'aJly f.w.ell inl o manufoctum:1
rlO .... lulg;1I 01' ('a;; t inlo o/'I;I,ion-
mlOl1t('r ("Il lll y hOlllp tOs,<;(. "(11'K11 oflhe wi n
(lull'. III IKII'f'u,\ing of sc;e' lc('
ridioll, fulures lIlay
be I' l'mlll:-l t'l lgag/!1 inlhf'ir own fushion
wi lh Hoddy'1'i Ulwl y;; is of the wuy Ihat
1'\(' 11 UlI ], 1111 1:' 1 pragm;lti(' discussions
uf h"(' htloll lgil'al UlII I :-I('i(,lItific tlel'e!
01'1111'111 aI'" illfusf'l l with a gOOllmea
,.un' of d" :-; il\' ami fanlasy projection.
Hduming to my aff('("lile. uwkwanJ
1'I $llI)fl$l' ln lJ'rel fir'e. I fl;' ''(:t.1j.,'11i7A' thal
il!'. 1111\1('( d"peru];; not unl y on my
ubi lil y 10 UlIfI",'); lanrl Marker"s film us
hU\' ing IllI' qualil y of Benjamiu's
cli ul l'('\ ic'al imagf' . "' hi ch can pu ll
rJ'agllll' nl;; of pa;; t ami present (al1ll
illdl.""] futw'/') togl'tllf'r in a COIIStei
lati01l Ilml ,If' li vat es hi storil'ul con
It al-o re<;IS on the way thal
I am imuhmltlrily relunlfXllo my own fOf"
goll('n plul'l' wit hin Ili !'. IOI)" I 1Im emimr
I am h('ing relunlt:O 10 tlK'
mum("11 \\ 111'11 1.I'I'f!/ fire's qUllinl look
ing graplli(':-I wl.'rt" nC'w and ex('itillg.
fon'ld 10 n'l 'all a hi ;;lorieal timp I li l'\.'(1
Ihmugh buI "ho('I11('lI1ul)' 1 hUI'p r('\\I'it
t('n. '11' n'pll':'O.<;("f1 in urder 10 sul }-
s(:rilH.' III Ihl.' mylh" of th .. , lechnological
pn''''' nt ;md flllllTt". My ",en"e of sh()('k
('01111',.. from an Applf' Ma(' Illal belonlts
10 Ihal liml)() of technol
ogy Ihllt ;s IIld t"noll Ah 10 be ohsolcle
hul nol :-Iufl'l y enough 10 ha\'e I)('('n
H'f')(' led as 1Il1:-1 lalgi:I, Nothing look.... so
ol,lfashiolwd al' Ihal ,\hil.:h ha;;; OId y
j ll sl gOlw oul flf fa;; hiol1 . In tryill g lu
ul1( l('l'slund tlw;:(' n:' ,; punl'(JS to SUIJl C of
work!'.. I um cOIllIlf" lI ed to
UllI!..'n.land myself 11.<; :II)Olrticilmlll ill the
mylhs of [Ill' prn<lnl. ilnd al the S1Illlf" lime
10 "hemali\'" pcrspecti l'p on his-
lory Ihat may hll l'P Ill(' 1)()lefltial lo di s-
mpllhHI Ill}thologizing impulse.
Ca/her;tI /! I..IIII/Ull (/ SeniQr Lee/llrer i ll
Film (/1/(1 '/i'f(!I 'is;rl/l (1/ /(Ol! -
h(IIIIII/Otl iltli,'a si /) ofSI"rf:).
RECONSIDERING LE JOLl MAl'S INVESTIGATION
OF FRENCH SOCIAL ATTITUDES IN THE EARLY SIXTIES
BY SAM DIIORIO
[ OI.'<l1r.d in Ihe gray aJ"c<llwlll{'ell rloef+
SUIl;J1 (,,.,,ay and uiJjcdiH' (IO('lI lllen!.
Chrj" Mark!'J" and Pi cll-c Lllonl!lle's
film 11..' joli m(li is both ' l tt'll(ler portr,Lil
of a eil y ami an iruii('llllf'lll (If a of life.
In ad{lirillll 10 he- ing Ollf' uftlw kty works
3botll lh., Fr(,lIch re;tetiunlo I ll(' Al ger-
i.ll1 lIar; tilt film is also a fm".n<I(,hillg Ill!.;,-]
i l <llioll on lh( rela tioJl :; hip Iwlwf'{'ll
imlivi{lual ami society. 011(> [hat eorn:-
!< PQlld;; tu tilt' leftisl s()(ial Ij"j()n elab-
m,l lp(1 ill 1lI11(h of Marker'", work. For a
nUlllhcrof 1"1'<1,;(111;; (11011111..' ],'a,,' of \\ hich
hei ng tl wll lll" vi deu cUITI-ntly (' irc1l1(11-
in llll' U.S. is mi,;singa ... ignifi(ullt POI'-
tiun of 111( ' miginal film). IIUII(' of Ihis llli!dl1
Ill: cIiden! to the e,.sual Vil'lI'''I', Under-
1 joli moi bCl"oll]"",
OIlCC lhc film i.;; plaet..:l Il il hilllllf'
larger of Frcndl I'ul
lure ill gt'rwr;ll and Markt'r's
{':treer ill par1i("ul:tr.
When Marker ;1IIt! U WIIUlU'
1xt:'Ul filmingOlI :"by I. 1962, IIlf'Y
0111 inllle uf illll"-
Itiuus '111(' [JIVI inll"
year Ilud ':<'"t 'lI the !"f'lea,:t' (lf 11
film with t'XtldJ)' Ihe :WIIH' poi llt
uf deparlun' . J"(ln !l oudr arrll
Mnrin';; Chronic/coJa SUII/-
mer was tlw infl ue-nti "J pur1 r;til of
the Pmisiilll {'I {'I)'day I"f'SPUII>:, i hit,
for th(' :; lolI'-bllllling ci nema rel"o-
hrtion of tl k' Sixties. HUll('h w"lIl Monn dTa'-
til'dy trau ... formt'"fl Frf'llch
hy inlrudul"ing ne-I\' lCf' hIlOlob'" (a prolo-
type ofl11l' 16r11ll; ;;ync ('lUll-
Cr.I mud, t':'I)('('iall y for the lilll1) and a rlClI
fllmma kill g :;tyle (CIIIIWramtln Michcl
I3rault IHI" flown 10 Fr.lIlt't , fmm Canada
10 ;; huut ... onw of Ihf' mosl Ulnhitious
scenes). U"ing a liJ!;hlll'ti ght pIlrtabl('
CHIllf'ra. il l1'<I" uO\\ possible 10 film souml
,111(1 image simultaneollsly in pra("lically
10(.'u1 iun. Tht>re iunoval iun" hf'r,lld('fl
a ncll' kind of informal. irnprol'is('d cin-
f'llIa in d o;:t' r("ontact wilh Ilr l' l\'HI worl{l.
1. Juti I/I(lts profes;:'t!(1 goal \\'a;:. iden-
tical lu tltHt of Chronicle: Markf'r all(1
France at the crossroads: Le Joli mai
Lllollltll(" lIanled 10 U" f' enl('rgi llg Ic('h-
Ilology to creale a portrait of clerYllay
Paris. Whi le tht'ir llell! 10 their
pn'('ur"S(II'S (in homagt'. Ihey even irJ(' lud('
a britf shOI of Ihe ;;elf-pfO(laimed lar-
I in allll l.ewis of clllll ograplli f' Cil](,II1<1).
in practical knn" made a \'el) dif-
ft'r"f"llt film. Wlrerea:; Chronil.:te 111It:1,:;; th(,
rM.' r"SOnal joullleys of iI .;;mall group of pnr
lagoni ;; ts ovc r a Ilurnb('r of l11()nlh;;.
]\l;u-ker and Llromllw wantClI to of)1;anizt,
a sllor1er limc ,. pan arounrl ;) wi rier ;;('Oll('
of If I{oudl ilnd Morill's film
fot'ust's 011 indi\'i duuk LR Jol; mai i"
I'dilf'd aroulUl thl' lII c;;.
By lhe cnd of Ma y. Ma rker and
Lhommc's It-":llll hMI a(Tll lll lrlalt,tl S5
hours of footag(" whith tlll'Y 1'111 1 lU\\'ll 10
shor1er frum ,WI"I'1l 10 20
hours. Tire film',: act ual I"lnllling limc i,.
a mallcr of ;<0111(' t'onfusiol l. A Ilhmrgh llle
FrcrJ('11 1'f' n;iOlI of 1. Juli //l(Ii i;; just
0\ er t\\O alltl a Ilalf Ilours IUllg. tilt' prinl
f' in: ul aling ill Ihe U.S. is mort ' than .1U
millulf'S shnr1f'r: 11 signifkant amount
of matcri,,1 ha,. be-cn rcmoVf'tl. Sf'I'<'"J"<11
8('(:1Ie;; halt' 11('("n Irimmc(1 {ont' of tht'
film's kcy ;;('qut' nccs. an ill lt'l"vil'W wilh
a young 1\ lgeri an. is it" final ;;('g-
mC'lll ) alrd olher" colllplctely 1'1 iminalcd,
Here art' "om\' (,rlhe thill).:" U.S. alldi-
f'1H; e S IW\, f' uol ':ef'l1:
A s illt'crt' amI an"t'cli onal(' port r .. lil
of liff' oulllt' Hili ' MoufTf'lanl. ouf' of I'ari s's
lII05t tightl )' kllit I)()"ular l1 t' ighl)()rllOutl s.
111'0 (.,,hile('[" in;l nlCWII Int
Iht' Il chulII <lnizi np; ;I:;p('l"! ,. uf modern
housillJ!; and ,.hilli ng IJlf'ir Illtljf'l.:ts.
Or le of tll('ln. ill ,: piretl hy I.bllar Ele-
phant. ill1ugi l1 (.o" an idcal of
ci ties ill thl' trt(>s.
An ill tf' n' if'1I' wi1h a ('o,:Wtll e
designer 11 ho (ulmih; thal :;11<> fcu .. ;; nlh-
(,1"S and pn'fel"S 10 ;; pend her lil1l1' irl(IOUl"S
(Ie"igni ng outfits for' IWf I)('ts. In \llIat is
ull (louhtedly orl(' of tire rrro"t out lamlislr
l'Ut 8-tf'nes in filrrrognrplry. wc
:sef' part of Irt.-f "pring: collc("[jon slrown
nfThy a s UIl)ri "iIlAl y patic'nt fd int;;: nroc l{'l .
ReheaNml", for' I.A.I Felll me slillCClge, a
play by Al gC'ri,lrl wrih' r Kuteb Yal: ilH' .
An intc'rvif'1I' rega rding t he Fre rr("h
,lrmy's use of torture clurill g t he Alge r-
rail wur.
A di:iluf;.<; ioll with hum till ' pn'S-
ti gious prep "d l()()1 Jan",on tie Saill y thal
t,lkc"", place dwi ng targt't pm('tice. Marke r
;md .mother i ntervi('wc' r Ni t i('izf' tilt-' slll-
(lent,,' nailely e,liti"t [)()I iliea l ;; tllnc\"".
A folk conu'rt .. llhe Th{-filr'(: Mouf-
fetanl. Agne;; V .. nb. Armancl Galli. ami
Alain Resnai " ;In' .. 11 in a lle ndlUlee.
Cilhc'rt Samsnll '>; >;ong of il homes ick
soldif'r is illlef(' ut wi t lr footag{' of tilt'
prC' p school "tu(lf'nl;; he'ing lrain;: ll to
",hoot and radio [mm Fre rrch i'Q1-
dic' r'" in J\ lgeria to tlreir families.
A" the alxwe li"t dtnlOll ;;lmte;o.llre US.
[Hin t is a mudl Ic''' ;; pulitif'al f ilm.
Ah hough Ihe exuc' l reason;; for the c uls
remain uncl eil r. they wen' prf';;uma IJl y
m;rdc' 10 make Ill(li!m mort' markelable
to fOI"f'ign Tire &Lm(' is;;ut-os Illal
UII('(' s{'eme(1 too Fr{' ll dl fur OI'ersc(I:;
rml rket;:_ howew'r_ h' lI'e grown ill impur-
tanc'e wilh f' ll( h p<l ss ing yea r. It is a
s hamf'" Ilml Ilw full I"t'r.<iou of thi s iu\, .. lu-
abl(' (Iocu mcnt ri'lll"in" out of reach for
Eugli.!i h-spellk ing "IWl"I<llors.
::J;> espitf' "Nious Ilisparilies III
("onl('nl. Ihe appruaeh to Paris in
1)(111 1 v{'l"l'ions is Ih(' "<lnw. Ult imall!}'. Le
l oli fila; i;: a film ahout muntag(,. As
m;my ha\'l' l"f'l:ognizNI. Markt'r i;; a film-
m;,kf'rohsessetlwith c'(lil ing: in hi s
, hc 1('1111 musl 1)(, ill it s Immd-
est sen;;:!'!. Nol oll ly i,. 111' ("oll('f'I"lwd wit ll
hOIl" ;; hol s are lillk .. d toget her. Iw t:stah-
li slle" lensioll withi n individual s huls
,hnHl gh itliusync'rat i(" l:onlhina, ions of
sound and inl<l&".I.J' JoIi lIIai marks a lWl l-
ing poinl in his (';ll1""('r lSinl:e it flll1ll1:r cunl-
plieates Ihis iul ri("a'{' relation;;hip.lt is
;r hridge film Ihat s imllltall eously looks
hack 10 the early lravelogucs tIIl,1 forwanl
10 lul e r politieHI v(' rM \\orks lik,;\ Ilie!! -
161. Fespere. If his fi rsl films bear Ihe
Ullmi;: takahle sla mp of <I sil lgular ('U1\I-
mc nl 'lr)'. lilt'" laler orH'S are ofif'u c'ol -
laIJo rati vf'" efforl" thal mu\'(' clo;:(r 10
Ihe ir ;: llhject s and ill('oqxll"ll lf' a Hurnber
of (li;;lillc' voiu's.
Halfway 1.>elw('( 1I Ilu:;:e 111"0 1)Iriods. U:
lul; //lai i" hasetl un)L ulIl a pri n( ipll ' of linr-
iled diuloguf'. Mm-ker ;lrld [jUJIlHlll' wanlt..'(.l
loopelr Ih(' (' inem;1 to tl](' ('omplexiliC's of
s ponl;mt..')u" speech by cmlinUl),
peopk. At the S1Ullf' li ll k' . thi" b'llilf'[ess tc:s-
linlollY "':IS not llllcoIlClitiollull y
Ralher than naively ;: holl'irrg lilt' world "liS
il is:' thf'y insisl on rdai ll ing 11 ("l"iliclIl
apprQ;l('h fl. lrongly rlI3rk" d by s u!Jj .'Clil'c
pre:sen('f'. As (Tilic Hog.' r Taill(' ul" 1>1:'1"-
cepli\C' ly Le 1()1i mOl is nol ci lr-
ema l'c'l'ilf-. il is ('ill(" fIIO INil(': Ll ot 1I
cinemll of In.rth. bu' OIl(" tll<l' exprt";;'(s a
pf'lsorr;.J Ink('on Inr lh. '11 1i,. indivillual I'il'\\'-
[)()inl is pri maril y reveLl If'(lthrouglr m OIl-
Iage: wllCn a pairof engillCY'rillg ( ..... I;;Il!tanl ..
become in"uffembl y l)()rnpOll ;; . images
of yawll ing eal s illlerlllpt tlwir conl'C'l':<a-
lion. The ' n.rl h abou, Pari,. i;;, n: l"cal"d nol
tluuugll singlf' images hUlt hnmgll a ('om-
hi nHlion of Shols. Via f'fiiling. 1111' ,. heen
of 11.(' ('\'f'I}day is " I ripl)('(1 away and Ill e
deep.:: r ('ollf'ems I hUI ('(l II,l il ion ('onlc lII -
[)()I"l.U), S(J('i(,ly are
It s sa f(' ' 0 say Il.at in ,\ 'Iay 1962.
Pari s lI"as hari)()ri ng a grf'<lt deal of Ull X-
if'I )'. Le luli mai was 111<1(1(, .. ;; Fron{". \\'as
nearing Ihe ('nd of a bmlal ('ight-ye;! r \1 ar
wil h Algeria. which W;L>; Il),i ug to gain ils
iude [)CnJem' f' after ml/I"(' thnn 100 y"ars
of Fre nch ('ololl i?al ion. Thf' film lakf'S
place (luring "I he fir,.1 "pringtirn(' of
[lellce :' Ihat is. anN Ill(' "igllillg of the
ceasefi re a('mrds on Man'lr 19 Illl l l"lI'fure
the offi c ial rf'feren(lunl for ill dept' n-
([ f'nce Oil J ul y I. It ;; importa nl 10 [H)i ul
ou' Ilwl violf' nf'f'" corlliull\'d des pill' till'
Man.::h (:eascfiw. Dwing tll(' mon,h of May.
tell 10 50 i\l gerian Cili z(' ns lI"ere killl'd
elt:, ry day by pm-Frctl ("h 11'I"1"O .. isls.
Alg(, liu's slow and painful ;: lllIggl. for
indepelltl cll("c Ihrew Fr; uH"(' inlo a ,WVf' rf'
I' r is is of eonseif'nee. l'I(';; ilall l Iu "f'f'
the cnd uf a profilable ('olollial e mpi r<.
Ihe gOI'cnllllC!l' was UII<lhlf' 10 r(,""S(J h(- Ihl'
conflict. Not onl y did i,s C'ontinuetl iru lf'-
C'i s ioll uring 1\11' country 10 lire I'ergf' of
1)()lili eall:ollap;:e. its ';I( i, ",II1("tion oftll('
Frendl army",; use of lorl1lJ"(, tlu r ing th('
war ser iously ('all ('(1 inlo ([u{'slioll tll(-
re puhliC" s moral fotLllIlaliorl s. As il real-
ize(1 thf' exlenl of IIIf' :mny's opprcs-
sil'f' la(' 1 ies. F runc'f";: i l1l:r gt' of ilself 11'11":'
sf'I"iously danmgC'(I.
In adll it ion 10 Ihis il llc'I"IHlI iOllal l' r i;: i;:,
f'ilfi s'" dorneslie s ilualion Illal May 11';1:;
Ullf'<lsy tllhest. ThC' nf'II"S lI"asn't all hatl:
in the 1'1,..-(' . growing (-'('onomic prllS-
["wril)' undercut the polit icallension. By
1962. France W:L'" fina lly Ihrowi ll g orr u
legacy of po;: lwar pf'IHH)' 10 a
natiou of avid ('ons umeP.'o.
as s tri kes iHld dwnges in gcw\""rrmwnl
("onlill uell.lh( puhlic's failh in il" i<twial
iUiilitutions 1 lo/i moi al""
lifies 10 allollwr e merging urr cl'rlainl y.
Dmiug Ihe Fiftif'S. Ille Fr ... ndl gm t'nHtu' nl
had iusligalf'(llhe mosl mcli(',rI
10 res tmcluJ"e Par; s since Ih(' 191IL ct'uluI)'.
In:.III O5Iensihl., allt'llllJ! 10 (IU1J-
ily of liff' in lilt' I\hlll. , Iwi ghho .. -
hoods were lom clown Hlwl lheir iullllbi lanb
forc ihly reIOl.:,lt("(1. By 1962. it',.:, (vic I .. ullhal
Ilresc ("hanges in urhall sp.aN \\('!'f'IJegin-
ning 10 pfOl.llwC 11 c(,I1ain anxidy: ,h ..
uld Paris II"IIS d i;:.appearing ,HU\ it was
{lilTi eu!t 10 pn.."(li('t wha, would ("(Hne rlt' xl.
A II of Ihese fa{'tors-infTt'<lst"t1 t'("()-
nomic prosperi' y. the Al gNian war,
c hangf's in Ihe urhan I:md;;;('a[)('. inlenral
pnlilic a l :; t r if(' - ill fonn Marker 111111
Lhomme's c omplex porlr,li t of Pari " .
Wh ile Le loli mai is a relf'nl li:"" ly polit-
ical film. puliti(';:. musl I.H' lmd"l1'locIII
here ill ils wides t S('n;:e, as tll(' flo.lIlwwork
Ih rough which indi vidua ls r .. latf' 10 a
larger (ommlHl ity. '111(' film 1I(' Il(II II1('es
Fr.ru("f's apalh}' IO 111(' Algerian war. hUI
thi s ap.:llhy is .. Iso takf'"n as "ymplnmal ie
uf ,I largf' r deficiency. Pari sians ,.:,('elll 10
have f'losed tl lcmSf' lvf's off from olllt'rs:
tll{' ('it)' has losl it" idenlity 1L<; a (ommunil y.
le l oli mui att acks Parisiall S for Illd r di ;;-
engagemenl. for Iheir r:.Icism and ( Ia;; .. .. i;;m.
for thf'ir ;;df-obsf';;sioll ill l\r(' fan' of
injusl icf'. and fUl"lllI'i r sil em, ' . Thi ;; (li 8-
IUllt"("{1 f'l"i l iquc. however. is halant'ed
witll f'mpal hy: ' he film's han.;h ("OIlf' lu,.:,ions
arc lnitigatetl by UllIlli;:lakalll(' "rr(1lion.
l\"larke r and Ll IUllIrllt"S urlmn I)()rtrail
i" hmulled by the ulupian dl"(':un of nn
ilariun "MiCly ill wh ich indi vidua l;: li vt'
wilh ralhf'r Ihan ;rgai n;:1 o, hel'!'. The ha ll-
lnarks of Ihi ;; fillu-ils f'"mplra" i" 011 lire
soc ial. ils inlerest in (Iia logw. ils polil-
ical ("oll."C'if'H(:e-I)('('amf'" tilt' fOlrnc l<lliolls
fur Marker's wurk Ihroughoul tilt' Sixlit:'';.
From thi s poi nl 011. Iif' drew clu;;.' r <lml
cluser to s pecifi l: Imlili ca l ;: tlll ggles in
France. cmbrac ing Ill(' IMal in ol"ll('r 10
flllt!rer Ihe larJ.,'(r euuse of g1ohal ll'\(Jlulion.
Thi s idios), nclUlie I'elite pot1rait of 1962.
Ihen. clln 1)(' t"onsitlere(1 a cli rC'C" s pring-
board 10 11lf' milil anl ("i l1el11l1 of 1968. Onc
l\ IIIY l:olrtains Ihe set'(l s of anolhcr.
..)(1111 Di /orio is (I Ph.D. 1/1
FrelKh (lIthe Unin:rsil), of
His dissertalion. elllille(1 EI'f'"I)'clay Opli c;;,
deals wilh Marker amI other filmm(jkers.
17
" It's prcuy mll' to be able to take a walk
in an imab'e of childhood." These \\on:ls
from Chris Markers 1958 film-essay ut-
/er fium Sihtril, are ecllOC(llat('f', il1 /11 ktt!e.
o film al)()llt "3 man marked by un image
from hi s ('hildhood:' Both of Ule:5e "irnHgei>
of chilllhood" are reprised ond subtl y
moduloted at tile begi nning of 5mu soIeil
in the Iilm's opening "image of Imppiness":
three children on a road in Icelund.
Betwl!en Let/er ond La jelee lies Marker's
"lost l>eriod"-what one might call the
Is Paris Burning?: La Jetee
Letter from Siberia and Sunday In Peking
4l:I FtlMCQMMENl'
chikDJOOd of his oeuvre, Maybe "chik1hooc:r'
is too precious a designation for what is,
after all, early work, but it's work that is
more or less lost to us, orphaned from the
back cotalogue if not di::H>wnt.'1:1 by its
creator. \" hen the Cinetnathtlque Fmn{:aise
presented a Marker retrospective in 1997,
the direct or deni ed pructicing any "ret-
rospective self-censorship" in choosing
1962 (the year of bot h 11! Jctie and 11 Joli
mai) as hi s Year Zero. it was the
case that Marker deemt."(l thi s work 10 be
merely "rudimentary" compared with
later efJorts. "ltudimenlt1ty" is a carefully
chosen word. one that suggests ')>rimitive"
and "fundamental," with this work rel)-
resenting the tyro effM8 that contain all
the tropes, tricks, and 5tmtegies, all the
obsessions that willll!Cur throughout the
IiImmaker's career.
If the three long-fol111 films thut Marker
lIlodebetween 1958Il1KIIrx:t.l.--ldter/rom.
Siberill. Descri{Jtwn of a Struggle (60) and
Cu/x. Si (6 I}--ha\'e the Icgt: ndary allure
of "Iost" works, what of theol.hers? What
of the shorts. such as SUI/day ill Peking
(56)? What of the collubOl'8t ions with
Al oi n Resnais. such as Sllltues Die
(59), which Marker and Resna is co-
di rected. or TOll/e La mcmoire dn monde
(56) and Le Alrslere de /'au . .Jier quu-.ze (57),
to which Marker contributed commen-
taries? The fascination of these IiIms
doesn't only reside in their invisibilit y. In
them. one discovers the elements that
remain cenlral to Murkcr's ucti ... ities and
that have always infomu!(.1 and run par-
alIelto his filmmaking. It's lately become
fashionable to refer to Marker as a "mul-
timedia artist," purt iculurl y since he
ret'entJy produced un Intel1lct-t hemed fea-
ture film (Level a CD-1I0.'!. ancl a nUnl-
berof ... ideo installations. Out thi s misses
the fact that Marker was Multiple Media
Man atlOnt La in publish-
ing and a.s a writer and photographer
prioc to aOOthruughout his rum career. 1..eJ-
le,"' and w j e/h are films, of course, but
both also exisl as books. 'Ille text of I.t-
ler was published in Commelllaires I
(61), whi ch, with its companion volume
CommclI/lIire$ 2 (67), coll ected words
and images from the films Marker hu(1
mndebctween l950and 1966. Markers
relationship with the publishing com-
pany Editions du Seuil dales back further
still: to a photogmphy-and-text collection
calk..J Corhlles (59), a critieal mono-
graph 0 11 the writ er Jean Gim"loux (52),
a novd, Le Coeur lIel (J1lC ' lidy Hem1,49),
as wcllus a long-standing and iml)()rtant
role in designing the seri es of travel
books "Pet ite Planete" in the Fifties.
which, a('cording to Cuy Cauthier (the
author of a recellt French study on
Marker: .. work). "revitalized illustrnted pub-
li shing in the Fifties." Seen in this con-
text. La Jerk WIIS a projectl)()m not only
from it s director's activities as a pho-
togmpher but e<IllOll y from hi s involve-
ment in book design. And il, loo, is also
a book. Or, fa ther. the photo-romclf/ (as
Marker descrihed the film) bccmllt> a
cint-romcm in 1 m. \\ hen the di.m:to!']lro-
duced from the st ill photographs and
commentary text a further hyhrid objel.
If Marker was seen to have inno-
vatoo in his explorolion of image/text rela-
tions on the printed page. this was
eCluull y true of hi s early filrnmaking. It
was Andre Uazi n, who observed in a
1958 art icle thnl. with SWU/flY ill Pekillg.
the fi lm mil ker had "already profoundl y
transfomlC(l the customary l'elationship
of lilt: tcxtto Ihe image," I1uzin statal that
Marker "brings to his films an absolutely
new idea of montage, which I shall call
horiwntal' .... Here, the image does not
refer back 10 Ihllt which precedes it or to
the ont' that rollows, but luterll ll y, to
what is suid al)()ul it .... Montage is made
from li le ear to the eye." Bazi n develops
this formal insight into a description of
Marker's method by examining IlCrhaps
the most famous sequence in Letter.
Over lhe same three shots of a street in
the Siberian city of Yakutsk-in which
we .see, consecutively, a bus. workers toil-
ingon a road. and 0 local man glanci ng
at the ctllnem as he crosses its field of
vision-run three different cornrnen-
taries. The first is convent ional Com-
rnuni sl-era propaga nda: Iht' second.
" Voice of Amcrica" -style mi :. infonnalion:
the Ihin.l is "Il'utrnl" in tOI1t'. hul no
more or less rt'\'ealing fOrlhat. lu lllis acl
of comicll ll y !l'gislers,
u('conling 10 Bazin. re\''als that "impar-
tiality is an illusion: Ihl' opemlion in
which we p..micipale is tlK'n'fOft' pn:('isciy
(Iialectieai and eonsi:lts of SI:unning the
SaIUt! image with three difTl'renl intdk'etuai
mys tuKi let::eiving back tlw who:' hi short,
11 philosophi cal question-"Whut do
theSl' images show?"-is 1X)f;t'(1 with lil-
crury legerdemain. And t eller. in all it s
literuriness. all its baggy epistolUl), direr-
sit y and travelogue- happy self-con-
sciousness. is lml y the lIlodel for many
of the fil ms that fol low. al ltllf' way to
,wfeif. when' the time-I mw' ler (this time
given a nallle. Smulor Krasna) II'riles to
his anouymow. female Ilf'n pal lhut he has
"heen around Ihf' world S{'\emltimes and
now onl y ba nali ty still intl-rests me:'
Banality has a face and 11 name. You
musl make a friend of In UlS soleu
Markers SlIm:l@.1tc-hetemllym Lr.:lC'ks it '\\'ith
the relentlessness of a bount y hunter:' JUSI
u.<; himselflw {lone throughout his
coreer. TIl ink of Le i oN mu; and its wr-
\'OX-pops. Orofthe le;;;, .. \1f'II-kl)()\\1I11Je
KOII"u'"o Mystery (6.5) for whi ch MarkN
tmvelCtI to Tokyo ostensihl y 10 film tile 1964
Ol ympi c Games ami elUlf'<lup making a
porl rnit of a young Japanese \\'Olmll1.
Koumiko Mur.lOka. Koumiko gives '1)t1llUl-
ity" a fuceand a name and hcneeba"OlIJl!S
thcoppositeof"exotic:' But then. perllUlJS
"the exotic" is onl y the m:.!sk that hanal-
ity \\{'IlI'8. anywu}'.
Alcl1 to Ihe exolic. ils lul'f's and pe r-
ils alike. Marker has invented for Irim-
St"lf the l>ersona of a voyagt-r in Illultiple
dimensions. EI'ery continent-hopping
tm\'e!ogue is simultanoously a ..... ay of sl ic-
ing through time; every desti nll tion is
acknowleJge<1 as bei ng ulreucl y frozen i,r
om" image-repertoi re or another, Take till'
"childhood imnge" ofllle Galesof Pekilrg
tlml opens SIITldo), in Peking. for f' xam-
pie. oler which Marker eomment s. " For
30 }cars in Paris. r d been dreaming
uboul Pcking without knowing it" as he
Slcl);; into the image fmm dlildhood ami
l1lulehf's it ag:tinst 11lf' tcrritorial re:tlit y.
It s an image of the past sel ugainst a pn:-
SCll t that is ilsclf in nu.x. l1IKI its often IJttIl
nOled that Markers tmndOb'ues privilege
countries in mOI11(' nIS of tmnsfonllatiol1:
Chi lla under Maoism (SWUftIJ ill Peking).
Sibe ria during a Sovi('t -pmmotNI Five-
Year Pl an of industrilltizutioll and (' Iee-
trifiCUl ion (Leller Jrom Siberia). ismci
in it.-; infancy (Description OJII Slmggfe).
Cuba attempti ng to consolidat e Cllstm's
Hcmlution (Cuha Sn. AIH I whil e sollle of
tllf'"c films Iwl'c the nuvol' of " Bu II{'tins
to tllf' of M Ull" aboutlhclll.
eng(l ge disp:tlches sent out in the spiri t
of inlemalional solidarity (i n this respt"C1,
Marker the left.leani ng ClItholic human-
ist was much of hi ,<; generation),
they also represcnt Iht: development of
u filmic IW1b'llage that woul{1 WI'CSI the ttUV-
('lo),'I.Ie fl'Cf' fmm its tai nt of easeful Colo-
niulist ohservati on. And Ihis is when'
Murkf'r's achicI'emcnts com, int o IllI'ir
OWL I ami merit the lag of "grealness."
MUI-kf'r has e: .. plonxl ruKl de\,f'loped two
of thc most nrdimClltUl), of filmlun-
b'tltlgf': the look and the cuI. '"'Thl" look" is
tIILdel'stood lu;: re as being both that of tl1('
CUIlK'r..L ilself (hence. Ihe look of Ihe fi lm-
lIIukcr and. by extension. the look of tll('
as well as the ICKtk rl'tumed"
(t he reciprocal g<l7.e of Ihe person bei ng
filmed), It's tills 10Clk Ihat In'oHlCS his IOOJUS
opcrundi , hi s fal'ored ft't ishizefl moment
tl nd whoS(' molto ('OIll(!S in Smu "wleif
when. with a eureer's wOl1h of fruslm-
lion behind him ut f'inemu"s underem-
ployment and misuSt' of Ihis exlrdOr(linwily
IXII CI1I de\'it:e. KrnsnalMurker
"I-! U\'f' you e\'er heanl of mr ything more sl u-
pid thun whutlhey leaC' h ut film !'iChool -
II/)/ 10 look at Ihe camera?" In Ill }'
inmgi nalion. a young Murkf'r-fixatetl
video-artisl is out thcl'(' somewlwll" labor-
ing 01 er a found-foot age opus Ihat would
hc <'"OIllposed entirely of an 3.';sembly of all
tl108C eyes slaring into Ihe heart of Markf'rs
lens. In focI. Markcr' .... t'lltire output is
shol through with IlwiIe moment s tlml
ill'\: lingered Ol"er and nV!flituted upon, Cin-
emu in g(' neral is df'se ribed as /'im-
primerie rlu regani (the printing press of
tire look") aJ1(1 l\I arkt'r"s own ci nema
hynms "the magical function oflhe eye."
In this he stays tnlt' to an eITee!
of cinema's own drildh()(Xlth.rt hi s alum
mater. the French New Wave, acti\'ely
exploited: the moment when a passerby
glonces into the camem's lens and which
1111' French film hi slorian Jean- Pi erre
Jeancol us has named Iht' "Feuill adf'
I'ffeel" after IIIf' ci nemut ic pioneer
whose own films. often shot on
the strl:ld.s of I'aris. indut\l:l SllCh momenL<;,
When t:onl"cntional ficlion fi lms captlll"('
these gillnces they (."01111":: across as n1erl'l y
('hal1ni l1& naive. and unguardod remindel'8
of primitive cinema, Mnrker explores
them more prohingly. !lI11I1"(' Ill1Itlhere is
The money shot: La Jetee
!'Otnethillg magical ul \\Ol-k
lilerall y transporting in Ihis contUf' !
bl'i ween tllf' cament t')(' IInd the hUIII<II1
f'}e. 'nlC contact 11(' is les .... nf u
giwK:C than a wlZt! (1Ul(1 ('w' n \\Iwn it only
u glull("e. he li ngers on it likf' a gaze)
kt'l'lI tu estahlish thut lIIoll1l"nl when 111'0
looks meet in a kind of e<lualil y. whenlhc
{'ye is. quitf' literally. "Olwl1."
In Ul i e/(fe Ihe ol>eninf; f'}'e l)('(:omt'lS
Ih{' emblcm of time. The sif;ni ficallC'f' of
this momcnt ill Ih(' film is emphasize<1 hy
H hri lliantly inventive. "I"luli mentary"
"J I("(' ial cfTt.'C1 1\ hO!'oC' il1l p<ll'I workf'tlup
10 Ihrougll a refinetl, dl} Ihmic panoply of
f'ms, ... -fm"ics, "uperinlpoSiliOll.'<. 3n(1 fad.,*"
tn-hlack. A \\OnHIIl's c}('s open from
"If'f'p ut 24 fmnlf' S per S('COml. mO\l'-
menl !llIim:tlf'!! the sti ll s. and ci nema is
UWOkt:11 fmm apho/(rllJlI1(1l1. Bul blink and
Grimace without a f ace: La Jet ea
49
llIi &; it. ;ut"rf'st iug to
tIll' wuy tht' photogl1lpll in 11.1 kl&!
cialetl hOlh with ll"HIII und rf'Uni lllat ioll.
,md to do,.;o ill th,light of the fir...t 110]"(1"
of lil t.! ,'olll11lentary to If I /I{ld FiliI(
CWllek a fi lm mad, lip {'lltire!,. of tll" pho-
takf'1l ill 26 ,'oUIlI riI'';
1955 and 1%5: "PJlotograpll Y i" lik('
hUlltillg. il',. Ihe of tIl e Ilulll 11 ith-
out tilt' ,II'"irf' to kill. [ t';; tilt' hunt of
angel s .... Ollt' ;; talks. aims, utl,l-
(' Ii"k! Hal[wrlltall ki[lil lgSOIllI. -'Oll,,
Htake tllt'1Il d erulll."tt is illto lhit< ""tf'J'-
lIity" Ill al thf' pholugmph deli l'crl-' ;I land-
;;;cape or a ';If'('. WI I kmil y when' t illte is
;;;t illet[ fiw Ilwmul; ' to lillgt'r and reatlimal('
it, T[ li" '" what Ihe tilll(' 11'aI-eleI' IIOt's in
Lt.1 jl'I&'. Or, mtlwr. it is II'hat time IIlL'; (Iotw
to him HmI to tIle lust lovt' of memory,
(Marker [w" ;;pokell of I,a .lelee H;; hi ;;
"remak .. " nf 1-litchnK' k,. [h ligu, H film
about IIH'lllItry. illsulle 1111'111-
ory:') It ,;;; th('s(' IIOfd;; from Ul l('/('
tlwI "III' <lI'"ulatl' tll{' elllhlt'Jliati('
role of nWlllory ill work: "Noth-
ing ,Ii"t inh'1Ji ;; hes IlIt'lIlltrie:: from onlin1lry
mumellt". It I;; onl y JHtf' 1' that they daim
1!'1l1<'mltrall('f'. By 1I1I'il'
CltiJ,lhO(IfIIll,' lllol'i(,f; hit UI'o all in (1)('
;;;:1Itlf' sput. wllt're irrmginatioll and Il'tlWtll-
!wI;ng <lfI'tnrl y irul isl il lglli ;:; ltabJe, What
gi ve;:; l.a l('lre ils fon', ,;:; the way il 1'011 -
Ilate;:; wilh tl1(' l1i;;;IIII;<.:al
traUllIlI of war, 111 a kf'Y f' SSll y 011 till'
/llm. J" Ull- I.ouis St:luf('r illent i/ll',,; "I Iit'
memury or. 01' the kind of 1II11('1II011i ('
('au;;f'd by war in our child-
hood: it priHlil l consl' ilt ll sness of all em
of plwlI'tary dl'stnldiol1 whidl 1111;';
a sOlllll'il hin us. like a hullel or a pie(' f'
of s hrapllf'l Ihat hit u,. ,lIlfl hy 1'11<1111'1'
rt';]dled a ('I'nter wlwrt il ('oul(lli v(" on
aft er hal iug clolu' 11 0 Il rort' Ihalllll'slrny
a to\\, II or kill ;;omcolw 01 her than u", :'
i\' ('c(1 OIl/' hI' 1!'luindl',1 of how Ih"time-
travel,'r in ,"", j('/CI.' yil'IIJ", lip. utld ) i,'I,ls
to. "till.: imagf' frolll hi" ('lliJdhoo,IY"
under tortlll'l', ill Ihe irradiat e,] ruins uf
Paris, suhmitt ed to (", [wrilllenl s in an
undcrgntullII lalxlfalttry. 111 le/ce inll:lll-
ilpd ml hi "Iol;eul ('oul"xt full of dn'llIl: the-
postl\ar lega(') ofbar!taroll;;; inhumallit y
(\1 II It: lilt' 1-lolot:1.Iu,, 1. Hi ros hima).
dome;;lil' "halllf' mlCl slril;' (Algeriu: tll11wl"
terror is m). a li(I kllif<,-<, dg(' atomil'
In;nk,mul"llil' (tIlt, CuJI.:1I1l1.1issil c Cri "is).
On oilt , lt'llt lhe fil lH "1111 1)(' a" Imv-
ing skillfull y ;; idf's t"111X'tl the pos"illle
objection" uf tlu' t.Tn"or:< tllrougll its
li S(' of thl ' .'<t' iell('e-/ldioll gl"ll re, Afh'r ill l.
.10
'\ "0 going tll ohj(;l'lto a Ir lat'k-wld-
",llit(' s('i-fi I"wlo-rom(l/r. 1.'1 I'n if it s sub-
j("'\lIlattt'f ilwlut!e(1 torlurc' and atomi!..'
d('I'1L.;talioll? hy the tim.- he ('':IIIIC
tu make l-i! leli e. c(,llsorship \\'as no
u('ad('lI1ie ImttlN for i'larker,
' 1111' 111'<111 IlwKI nr the Fn: IK '1r I<tat(; Irml
aln"ady 1>1.."('11 brought to Iw;ll' twice
herol'(" on Also nil" alltl Cllb" Si,
Marker revives
a Soviet film
practice from the
Twenties and
Thirties, a
technique that
turns editing into
creative geography.
Sunday in Peking
Stalll es. made lIilh Ahlin B{,"lHII;; . is 11
gllll'tful hut 1I0011'11](, Ie;;s piert' ing c'riliql le
of ('nlonialisll1 ill tilt' glli ",' of ;In art s
tll)('Umenlary. "WI ' fiml Ihe l'il'tur'('S(llle
,,1]('1\' 11 Illt: ml x:r of the Illa"k 1'01ll1ll11llity
the filct' of a eullun.: " tIlt' ('0111-
lllCUhu)' stal e;;. ;tI1I1 lire film gra,luall y ('(111-
", tnldl-' all Africau from tilt'
8tatuary in IllU"'eUIII di"pbys of
i<0-1' 1111f'l1 primitil ,. ;111, I'f>mains
a s triking film. for the brilli;.rnf'(' of
Hesuai,, 's call1era.the irony of
Markl' j" s ('UIllIl1('nlal; '. ; tIlt! Ihl' ;;uppl ..
sophi;; tif'atioll of tll" c,li ting. It is , as
Markc' r descrilw;; it in COlllmt'l//oirC5 /.
all ('x;llllple of U "JxIlllphlet-fillll" and ils
ban'l y wiled th nl"t lI'a,. not
lIli ;;St;'(1 by slate ('("n."ttr;:; who I t<UI Il(d it for
ten }'I'''I'S before authorizing tll(' r .. lea,.e
or a tnltH'atl'll I' el",ioll, (.'1,1111 Si. shot
"at fu11 tih" in January 196J. was
('(';1 I'll. l\l'flte M,lIiwr. "in 0/,-1,, 1' ht OPP05('
the nllH18trou;; wal I' Ilf nri Slllf(trnrul i011 in
tIlt! 1 Frenl'h lIHt ''';;'' over Ca;;t ro's revo-
IlItioll. TIll' Col ll \\111' logic' ofllw Fn' llI'll
;; tate IOUIHI it" ( "' 11501';011 " "I ihi for rl ' lil"-
illg til e film a Ili ;; trib"Iioll ,i sa I)), illlok-
ill g gelll'l'i ... lIi" .. li c";: lilt' film ('ould 11111
It,, dt'seril.K'd a;; a dt)('lIl1u'lItary 1)('1'<'111,,1
"it con5titultd ,Ill apolllgy for the CUl-'tro
r('glllle.
A hlst \\'onl about "lit .. ('ut" in Markl'r.
thc" hil Ihat "trike;;; Illl' a;; from
Hazins of "il.tl .. mllllonlagf':
li St';; hi" f'(lilill).: hit gn'at
;;;trel t..:1ws of tim, wll e!'t ' Y",u's pas!' ill
th, slJ.'lee of H stf'", '['11;nk "I' Sails suh'if"
tim('-tmn .. J('r IIho stwltI,I, 'l' into th.-' futlll1'
al< Ill' lramp" <lnoss J"dlllHli e hllHlra, It
"lri kes me tltat. in tbi s Ill'
tlw ('Ill. i\huiwr i;; elOi'ol" to th(' Sovid.; 11 1111.
ill lhe Hnd 'lil(' lI ti ,'l-', in eill!..llHIS
t'llil(llrood. (,,,l lf'd "l'rt'atil'l' geog-
raphy:' "I,ll' to (' relit" a filmic SPU(T-
time from dis,' r(" t(' spal" ,-tilll" ", Thi" is
wherl' Markn's tillle-t ra lf'lf'I'S
l'n)1l(' ill!o tllf'ir 011'11. all,1 IIIlf're Murkl'l"
hinL"<.'II, "our unknown 11.:; k an
Quel al 1'III'i"t('uf'(1 him. \'IUltlll S cillt'llIa
lIith a {'apaeil " Ilwt is il11ril1-
"il' to il alld Ihal e>,(,,;',ls the s impll'
rt'jlf'(1oire of !l"", hbueklllasllftll'Wan.l amI
in whi ch tillt( i", IIl1d(' fShH)(1 <11'0 cinl'l1lu'S
!111 .. mu"'ri,,1.
Maybe Ill' ;;hOllll!rI't 1't""'nl i\1a rkl'I""
"c' hi ldltl'lOll" film;; beillg (1"l li('(1 us. Afl, ' 1'
all. o]'s('s.; i\'(>;; are all\a)" g:mtl'-
fill fol' sturr that I1l'cdl-' di gginJ!: up in
o" ler 10 he Ullt 0Ilt' ('(UI't IlI'lp
IIlr('tlll'r MltI'k"r'" f'x1IlIIpll '-
hi " solilUl)' wand('rings wilil nlllll'l'1t alld
1"'tf'n. hi " cxplnmlioll of lIlt' foml:> of e;;;;ay.
1r<l1'(,logu, ' , allll fi n:; t-PI'I""1lI fillllmak-
iug-is lIul now nil "husc' timl '
Il,L'" ('0111(' "mmltlng"in. Milli 1)\' emllel' L';.
dl,;;ktop I'llit illg ;;oft wan'. all thest' IU' \\
tmls al'e ('Ilm 'IItly IP\';Iulizillg
/lr;:; t-pt'l-;;on filmtllukill g. It would IJI' ,I
realizatiorl fm tJltt"'" ,'xplol'illg
lhl" fonn In Ilndf'I'Stnlltl IIl11t Ihey aI',
Ilot th ... firs t tu (1,,;:;0, Thatlltt'l' are thelll-
,,;rlw'l'o tlll' dlildJ1' n of nil melcurial.
qui xolic f"tIH'r who. \\ itll 11 play uf Ilonl"
for hi s nutlH', lI'ilh a sl)(,I'll y (,li t and tIlt'
('Ii('k of" shutter, has 1\'lIlIlV(>(1 hilll"t,lf
into anolhel' llilll(nsioll. 1.,tI'ing the ],( ,,, t
of 11 ;;; to mak,' 11111' Oil II uot l-' O
ItIIlc' h follull iug in tOt,t"leps nil tra\'-
ding in n lillli' mtrchill" "fhi ;;; de;; ign,
I'idl'o Ilorl((lil (If
MorA-er iwlllf/cd 01/ Ihe rcrelll /,r
re/(!(lSCl/ Arl elArgos f'i fl/l ,i IlI IJ of I,a
J ptp(' and S;HI" ;:; olei1.