His Eye Is on the Sparrow
© 2006 Complex Corporation
| 7:30 p.m. | Films by Bruce Conner Bruce Conner (U.S., 1958–2006) |
It's hard to imagine contemporary film without the influence of Bruce Conner. While there were filmmakers who used found footage before A Movie, Conner defined the genre with his rapid-paced montages of stock footage, newsreels, and B movies. His brilliantly edited collage films range from blistering critiques of contemporary American society to dreamlike forays into childhood and mesmerizing meditations on altered states. His films have been cited as precursors to the music video, with their early use of pop music and dazzling combinations of sound and image. Conner is a longtime scavenger of culture's detritus, having created assemblages prior to making films; he also works in photography, drawing, and painting. Tonight's program includes Conner's most recent film, a tribute to the gospel group The Soul Stirrers.
• His Eye Is on the Sparrow (2006, 4:17 mins, B&W/Color, DigiBeta, From Complex Corporation, thanks to Henry S. Rosenthal). Take the 5:10 to Dreamland (1977, 5.5 mins, Sepia). Valse Triste (1979, 5 mins, B&W). A Movie (1958, 12 mins, B&W). Marilyn Times Five (1968-73, 13.5 mins). The White Rose (1967, 7 mins, B&W). Breakaway (1966, 5 mins, B&W). Vivian (1964, 3 mins, B&W). Ten Second Film (1965, 10 sec, Silent, B&W). Cosmic Ray (1961, 4 mins, B&W). Looking for Mushrooms (1961-67, 3 mins, Color)
• (Total running time: 62 mins, 16mm, PFA Collection, unless otherwise indicated)
