Afterimage: Films of Michael Glawogger

May 4, 2012 - May 6, 2012

Austrian filmmaker Michael Glawogger is best known for his loose trilogy of documentary essays that examine working life in a global economy. Traversing the world, he documents the struggles of everyday people to survive, often in miserable conditions, yet is equally concerned with the condition of their spirit—a concern reflected also in his narrative films. To elucidate these issues, Glawogger moves between fiction and documentary; as he commented, “Every documentary is staged to some degree. It's all a matter of finding the right degree.” Glawogger, who studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute and at the Vienna Film Academy, brings curiosity, humanity, and a beautiful formal aesthetic to his unique, contemporary city symphonies.

We screen a selection of Glawogger’s documentaries, narratives, and experimental films and welcome him in person each evening of the tribute for a series of conversations with acclaimed New York critic and programmer Dennis Lim. Lim contributes to the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Artforum, Cinema Scope, and other publications, and is editorial director at the Museum of the Moving Image, where he organizes film programs and edits the multimedia magazine Moving Image Source.

Read Nicolas Rapold's New York Times article, "A World of Troubled Beauty: A Look Inside the Films of Michael Glawogger."

Kathy Geritz, Film Curator

Friday, May 4, 2012
7:00 p.m. Whores’ Glory
Michael Glawogger (Austria/Germany, 2011). Michael Glawogger and critic Dennis Lim in conversation. In his most recent film, Glawogger examines one of the oldest trades, sex work, focusing on brothels in Bangkok, Bangladesh, and Mexico. Combining observational footage and interviews, Glawogger’s film is compassionate, powerful, and nonjudgmental. (117 mins)

Saturday, May 5, 2012
6:00 p.m. Workingman’s Death
Michael Glawogger (Austria/Germany, 2005). Michael Glawogger and critic Dennis Lim in conversation. Glawogger again asks a global question: Is hard manual labor a thing of the past? Unflinchingly, he answers by showcasing the most grueling and dangerous professions he could find, in Ukraine, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and China. Preceded by Glawogger’s short Haiku. (122 mins)

Saturday, May 5, 2012
9:00 p.m. Kill Daddy Good Night
Michael Glawogger (Germany, 2009). Michael Glawogger in person. In this story of converging lives, a man whose father was killed by Nazis seeks to find his murderer, and a Lithuanian involved in war crimes lives in hiding in New York. “Equal parts thriller, family drama, and examination of historical memory” (Museum of the Moving Image). (112 mins)

Sunday, May 6, 2012
7:30 p.m. Megacities
Michael Glawogger (Austria, 1998). Michael Glawogger and critic Dennis Lim in conversation. Glawogger takes us deep into megacities Mexico City, Bombay, Moscow, and New York, telling stories of people struggling at the bottom of the urban food chain. With Glawogger’s short Street Noise, filmed in 1982 on Oakland’s San Pablo Avenue. (99 mins)

This presentation is part of our ongoing series Afterimage: Filmmakers and Critics in Conversation, which is made possible by generous funding from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association® and the continued support of the BAM/PFA Trustees. With thanks to Dennis Lim, Rachel Rakes, and David Schwartz at New York’s Museum of the Moving Image and to the Austrian Cultural Forum for their help in making this series possible.