Stan BRAKHAGE

(1933-2003)
Nationality: american

Stan Brakhage is one of the most influential filmmakers in American avant-garde cinema, noted for his unflinching social commentaries and technical innovations. Over his nearly 40-year career, he has made over 200 films of varying length. He made his first film, Interim (1952) at age 18 after dropping out of college. Brakhage films seek to change the way we see. They encourage viewers to eschew traditional narrative structure in favor of pure visual perception that is not reliant on naming what is seen; rather his goal is to create a more visceral visual experience, for he believes that a "stream-of visual-consciousness could be nothing less than the pathway of the soul." To this end, his films are shot in highly sensual colors and utilize minimal soundtracks.

His work can be divided into distinct periods. His first short films explored the properties and possibilities of light. In many of his experimental ventures, Brakhage has forgone traditional cinematography in favor of working directly with the film stock itself. He has occasionally painted, inked, scratched and dyed images onto it; he has also tried pasting organic objects on the film. His most famous example is the 1963 short Mothlight in which he glued moth wings onto the stock. Some of his early films were based on his most intimate experiences that included making love to his new bride--depicted on negative film--in Wedlock House: An Intercourse (1959), and an attempt to bring his dead dog back to life with a camera in Sirius Remembered (1959). During the 1960s, Brakhage's iconoclastic views were celebrated for their poetry, but during the '70s, his focus changed to social issues and he alienated many supporters with such disturbing film series as the "Pittsburgh documents" in which he presented many gruesome views of inner city life with films such as Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971) which was shot in a morgue. He also continued with autobiographical material with the "Sincerity/Duplicity series. During the 1980s, Brakhage's focus again changed--this time he became intrigued with creating truly "abstract" films such as Arabics (1982) which consists of brilliant bursts of colored light which he claims, represent "envisioned music." In addition to filmmaking, Brakhage also wrote books about films and filmmaking and also served as a teacher. ~ Sandra Brennan

62 MOVIES IN DISTRIBUTION

	CHINESE SERIES 2003 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min. 20
	CRICKET REQUIEM 1999 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 3 min.
	THE EARTH SONG OF THE CRICKET 1999 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 3 min.
	THE LION AND THE ZEBRA MAKE GOD'S RAW JEWELS 1999 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 5 min. 30
	(• • •) OR ELLIPSES 1998 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 38 min.
	(• • •) OR ELLIPSES 1998 / 16 mm / coul / sonore / 15 min.
	(• • •) OR ELLIPSES 1998 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 15 min.
	(• • •) OR ELLIPSES 1998 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 20 min.
	COMINGLED CONTAINERS 1996 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 4 min.
	THE LOST FILMS 1996 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 55 min.
	SHOCKINGLY HOT 1996 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 4 min.
	I . . . 1995 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 26 min.
	BLACK ICE 1994 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min. 30
	CANNOT EXIST 1994 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min. 30
	CANNOT NOT EXIST 1994 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 10 min.
	CHARTRES SERIES 1994 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 9 min.
	NAUGHTS 1994 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 5 min. 30
	AUTUMNAL 1993 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 5 min.
	EPHEMERAL SOLIDITY 1993 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 5 min.
	HARROWING, THE / TRYST HAUNT 1993 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 5 min.
	STELLAR 1993 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min. 30
	STUDY IN COLOR AND BLACK AND WHITE 1993 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min. 30
	THREE HOMERICS 1993 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 6 min.
	CRACK GLASS EULOGY 1992 / 16 mm / coul / sonore / 7 min.
	A CHILDS GARDEN AND THE SERIOUS SEA 1991 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 73 min.
	CHRIST MASS SEX DANCE 1991 / 16 mm / coul / sonore / 6 min.
	DELICACIES OF MOLTEN HORROR SYNAPSE 1991 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 10 min.
	PASSAGE THROUGH A RITUAL 1990 / 16 mm / coul / sonore / 48 min.
	VISION OF THE FIRE TREE 1990 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 5 min.
	NIGHT MUSIC 1986 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 0 min. 30
	JANE 1985 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 13 min.
	ARABIC NUMERALS : 16 1981 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 6 min. 30
	THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS 1981 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min. 30
	MURDER PSALM 1981 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 17 min.
	MADE MANIFEST 1980 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 11 min.
	CREATION 1979 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 16 min.
	BURIAL PATH 1978 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 11 min.
	DOMINION 1974 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 4 min.
	STAR GARDEN 1974 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 20 min.
	THE TEXT OF LIGHT 1974 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 70 min.
	SEXUAL MEDITATION : OPEN FIELD 1973 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 6 min.
	EYE MYTH- EDUCATIONAL PRINT 1972 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min.
	SEXUAL MEDITATIONS: OFFICE SUITE 1972 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 3 min. 30
	THE WOLD-SHADOW 1972 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 2 min. 30
	SEXUAL MEDITATIONS: MOTEL 1970 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 6 min.
	SONG 27 : MY MOUNTAIN 1968 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 23 min.
	SONG 26 1967 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 7 min.
	SONG 16 1966 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 7 min. 30
	SONGS 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 1966 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 18 min.
	FIRE OF WATERS 1965 / 16 mm / n&b / sonore / 7 min.
	DOG STAR MAN : PART IV 1964 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 6 min.
	DOG STAR MAN: PART III 1964 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 7 min. 30
	DOG STAR MAN : PART II 1963 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 5 min. 30
	MOTHLIGHT 1963 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 4 min.
	DOG STAR MAN : PART I 1962 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 30 min.
	DOG STAR MAN : PRELUDE 1961 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 25 min.
	THIGH LINE LYRE 1961 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 9 min.
	THE DEAD 1960 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 11 min.
	WINDOW WATER BABY MOVING 1959 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 12 min.
	REFLECTIONS ON BLACK 1955 / 16 mm / n&b / sonore / 12 min.
	THE WAY TO THE SHADOW GARDEN 1955 / 16 mm / n&b / sonore / 10 min.
	THE WONDER RING 1955 / 16 mm / coul / silencieux / 4 min.