Inter-Images 1-3

These three short films – Retardation, Streams of Balance, Antizoetrope – constitute an attempt to prevent the simple perception of what is depicted by utilizing various techniques of masking, thereby intensifying the imagination of the viewer. The different "masking" methods consist of the continuous flickering of the components of a grid, the mechanical, indifferent movement of the camera disconnected from the spectacle, and the pausing of individual, brief moments of what is seen on the screen.

The film was my attempt at various ways of partially masking image in three short films. I was interested in hindering the full appearance of the image presented, and in the effect that showing something by not showing it had made on the spectator.
1. Retardation. I have taken the one-second image (24 film frames) of a woman turning her face and broken it up into pieces. The parts of the face flashing up sink into the depth of the image, with the black overlay flashing in the front. The idea of the face is enriched while the spectator hardly sees it for 5 minutes, but only knows it is there. It is the sensitive and rich presence of a woman’s face.
2. Streams of Balance. Masking the means of the mechanical upward and downward movement as well as the side-to-side movement of a narrow scope. We try to follow the slow and tense movements of a male body seeming to be performing a system of a secret esoteric rite. All we see in the stream of movement is body parts; the camera and the body walk different paths, as though crossing.
3. Antizoetrope. There are removable partitions covered with colorful sheets set up in a circle. Walking around the colorful
sheets we peek into a boxing match through waxing and waning peepholes. The intense greens and reds of the removable
partitions and the crescendo of the original sound recording intensify the effect so as to render it almost brutal.

(Dora Maurer)


"Speed is a relation between events" (P. Virilio).
This film is an attempt to slow down the movements by masking the image. It consists of three parts:
1. Retardation: A single movement of the head lasting 1 second = 25 frames, extended to 5 minutes by the 10 x 25-fold repeating of this frame, cut up in 25 pieces and masked. 25 computer generated sounds accompany the picture series in (random) reiterations.
2. Streams of Balance: An autonomous movement of the camera, showing a close-up of a body detail interferes partly with the movements of a dancer who follows his internally controlled shifting of weight. The film image never shows precisely the status of the body which however is being followed by the music.
3. Antizoetrop: With much effort and movement during the shooting nearly static pictures of a three minute boxing match are filmed. The soundtrack consists of the original sounds of the match.

(Dora Maurer)