DAY FOR NIGHT MOVIE MARATHON
The term ‘avant garde’ is popping up all over the Vivid line-up; it seems Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson hold quite the candle for it. At the Day for Night Movie Marathon the star is Maya Deren, a woman who filmmaker and co-curator Bill Morrison calls, “The godmother of avant garde cinema.” The movie marathon really goes the distance, spanning eight hours and countless cult snippets and live music overlays, including Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio and some improvisations from Laurie Anderson. “It’s a very happy marriage, the one between film and sound … Especially with films where this is not necessarily a straight narrative, music often enhances it. It’s like when you’re driving down the highway and you turn on the radio,” says Morrison of the concept.
Deren’s two features, Divine Horseman: The Living Gods of Haiti, and Meditation on Violence, were restored and transferred to HD especially for the program. “[Deren] was a wonderful cinematographer and editor, what was thought of as a ‘normal edit’ – she was able to break certain barriers. All of cinema is greatly indebted to her for it.” Both films bear an esoteric bent, Divine Horseman exploring the Haitian voodoo rituals of the 40s and 50s (“There’s a lot of trance and altered states, it really lends itself to the type of music [Reed] will be playing,” says Morrison), Meditation on Violence the ritualistic and contemplative aspects of the martial arts. As well as this, there will be sessions including experimental New Yorker Jennifer Reeves (When it Was Blue), animator Harry Smith, the Australian premiere of Lou Reed’s homage to his cousin, Red Shirley, and work by Bill Morrison. “There will be moments that are magical – we’ll have a rehearsal period where we try different things out, but I think really we’re going to keep the spirit of invention and experimentation alive,” says Morrison. Spoken like a true avant garder.
Jun 6, Playhouse @ Sydney Opera House, $17 per session or $40 total (phone only), 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com
