Japanicky [Felix the Cat in Japanicky] (Otto Messmer, 1928)

May

03

A cheeky looking Felix stands in a doorway with a bamboo roller shutter. Inside the room a woman in Japanese dress sits in front of a tea bowl and pot on top of a small platform. From the ceiling hangs a (Chinese) lantern and from the wall a large scroll that reads May 3 in stereotypical Oriental lettering.

and May 4.

#FilmDuJour #May #OttoMessmer #surrealism #ShortFilm #SilentFilm #comedy #animation #USA #1920s ★★★★☆

Goya 3 de mayo [Goya, May 3rd] (Carlos Saura, 2021)

May

3

1808

Saura's reconstruction of Goya's anti-war painting El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid (1814). DP: Sergio De Uña.

#FilmDuJour #May #CarlosSaura #FranciscoGoya #ÁlvaroDePaz #AlfonsoGAguilar #SergioDeUña #art #FineArt #documentary #war #TVMovie #ShortFilm #Spain #2020s

L'eclisse del 17 aprile [An Eclipse of the Sun] (1912)

Apr

17

1912

Scientists in impeccable suits observing the 1912 solar eclipse. The colour used for tinting this scene, a turquoise, indicates moonlight/dusk. Image source: Cineteca di Bologna (via).

#FilmDuJour #April #science #astronomy #documentary #eclipse #ShortFilm #SilentFilm #Italy #1910s

Even: As You and I (Roger Barlow, Harry Hay + LeRoy Robbins, 1937)

Feb

27

A film editor struggling with a long strip of celluloid. DP: Hy Hirsh.

#FilmDuJour #February #RogerBarlow #HarryHay #HyHirsh #LeRoyRobbins #SilentFilm #ShortFilm #surrealism #satire #comedy #USA #1930s ★★★☆☆

憂國 [Yūkoku / Patriotism or the Rite of Love and Death] (Yukio Mishima, 1966)

Feb

26

1936

Reiko (Yoshiko Tsuruoka) walking through her lover's blood, her kimono drenched. DP: Kimio Watanabe.

Covers February 26–28, 1936.

”'I know how you feel,' Reiko says quietly. 'And I will follow you wherever you go.'”

– intertitles

#FilmDuJour #February #MasakiDōmoto #YukioMishima #YoshikoTsuruoka #KimioWatanabe #CoupDEtat #NohTheatre #JapanArtTheatreGuild #ATG #ShortFilm #patriotism #romance #suicide #Bushido #SilentFilm #BookAdaptation #Japan #1960s ★★★★½

X2000 (François Ozon, 1998)

Jan

1

2000

A young, naked man holding a drink observes two men asleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. On the wall behind them the text “2000” spelled out with tinsel garlands. DP: Pierre Stoeber.

#FilmDuJour #January #FrançoisOzon #PierreStoeber #ShortFilm #holidays #France #1990s

Le voyage dans la lune [A Trip to the Moon] (Georges Méliès, 1902)

Dec

19

Apollo 17

A gif from the hand-coloured edition that is now in the Filmoteca de Catalunya. Poor Mister Moon has the adventures' rocket stuck in his eye. DPs: Théophile Michault & Lucien Tainguy.

The Moon (any moon) to commemorate the end of the final man-manned moon landing.

“Laugh, my friends. Laugh with me, laugh for me, because I dream for you.”

– Georges Méliès, 1937

In true Méliès style, a wild menagerie of showgirls and scientists meet on the Moon in this groundbreaking sci-fi spectacle.

Children's Party (Joseph Cornell, c. 1938/1969)

Dec

18

Las Posadas

Exuberant dancers at the children's party.

A festive child for Las Posadas

“Shadow boxes become poetic theaters or settings wherein are metamorphosed the element of a childhood pastime.”

– Joseph Cornell

Children of all ages are entertained by a menagerie of dancers, acrobats, talented fauna and bobbing apples in this exhilarating found-footage party. Part of The Children's Trilogy, together with Cotillion (c. 1938/1969) and The Midnight Party (c. 1938/1969).

#Bales2025FilmChallenge #JosephCornell #children #party #ShortFilm #ExperimentalFilm #CollageFilm #FoundFootage #USA #1930s #1960s ★★★★☆ ♥︎

The Automatic Motorist (Walter R. Booth, 1911)

Dec

17

Saturnalia

While on the ringed planet, they pick up a cop to save him from spear-wielding rascals, but he elopes with the planet's fairy. Look at those lovebirds on the rings of Saturn!

A planet with rings for Saturnalia

Two lovely newlyweds and their robot chauffeur take a trip to Saturn for their honeymoon, followed by a jolly ride under the sea. A remake of Booth's own The '?' Motorist from 1906.

#Bales2025FilmChallenge #Saturnalia #Saturn #planets #WalterRBooth #ShortFilm #SilentFilm #comedy #fantasy #SciFi #UK #1910s ★★★★☆

Report (Bruce Conner, 1967)

Nov

23

1963

Television footage of JFK's state funeral with the caption “November 23, 1963”, superimposed over it.

#FilmDuJour #November #BruceConner #JohnFKennedy #JFK #JacquelineKennedyOnassis #LeeHarveyOswald #ShortFilm #ExperimentalFilm #crime #politics #USA #1960s ★★★½

ShortFilm

Japanicky [Felix the Cat in Japanicky] (Otto Messmer, 1928)

May

03

and May 4.

#FilmDuJour #May #OttoMessmer #surrealism #ShortFilm #SilentFilm #comedy #animation #USA #1920s ★★★★☆

Goya 3 de mayo [Goya, May 3rd] (Carlos Saura, 2021)

May

3

1808

Saura's reconstruction of Goya's anti-war painting El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid (1814). DP: Sergio De Uña.

#FilmDuJour #May #CarlosSaura #FranciscoGoya #ÁlvaroDePaz #AlfonsoGAguilar #SergioDeUña #art #FineArt #documentary #war #TVMovie #ShortFilm #Spain #2020s

L'eclisse del 17 aprile [An Eclipse of the Sun] (1912)

Apr

17

1912

Scientists in impeccable suits observing the 1912 solar eclipse. The colour used for tinting this scene, a turquoise, indicates moonlight/dusk. Image source: Cineteca di Bologna (via).

#FilmDuJour #April #science #astronomy #documentary #eclipse #ShortFilm #SilentFilm #Italy #1910s

Even: As You and I (Roger Barlow, Harry Hay + LeRoy Robbins, 1937)

Feb

27

A film editor struggling with a long strip of celluloid. DP: Hy Hirsh.

#FilmDuJour #February #RogerBarlow #HarryHay #HyHirsh #LeRoyRobbins #SilentFilm #ShortFilm #surrealism #satire #comedy #USA #1930s ★★★☆☆

憂國 [Yūkoku / Patriotism or the Rite of Love and Death] (Yukio Mishima, 1966)

Feb

26

1936

Reiko (Yoshiko Tsuruoka) walking through her lover's blood, her kimono drenched. DP: Kimio Watanabe.

Covers February 26–28, 1936.

– intertitles

#FilmDuJour #February #MasakiDōmoto #YukioMishima #YoshikoTsuruoka #KimioWatanabe #CoupDEtat #NohTheatre #JapanArtTheatreGuild #ATG #ShortFilm #patriotism #romance #suicide #Bushido #SilentFilm #BookAdaptation #Japan #1960s ★★★★½

X2000 (François Ozon, 1998)

Jan

1

2000

A young, naked man holding a drink observes two men asleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. On the wall behind them the text “2000” spelled out with tinsel garlands. DP: Pierre Stoeber.

#FilmDuJour #January #FrançoisOzon #PierreStoeber #ShortFilm #holidays #France #1990s

Le voyage dans la lune [A Trip to the Moon] (Georges Méliès, 1902)

Dec

19

Apollo 17

A gif from the hand-coloured edition that is now in the Filmoteca de Catalunya. Poor Mister Moon has the adventures' rocket stuck in his eye. DPs: Théophile Michault & Lucien Tainguy.

The Moon (any moon) to commemorate the end of the final man-manned moon landing.

– Georges Méliès, 1937

In true Méliès style, a wild menagerie of showgirls and scientists meet on the Moon in this groundbreaking sci-fi spectacle.

#Bales2025FilmChallenge #Apollo17 #Moon #moons #GeorgesMéliès #JulesVerne #HGWells #VictorAndré #BleuetteBernon #Brunnet #JehanneDAlcy #ThéophileMichault #LucienTainguy #SciFi #ShortFilm #SilentFilm #fantasy #adventure #BookAdaptation #France #1910s ★★★★½ ♥︎

Children's Party (Joseph Cornell, c. 1938/1969)

Dec

18

Las Posadas

Exuberant dancers at the children's party.

A festive child for Las Posadas

– Joseph Cornell

Children of all ages are entertained by a menagerie of dancers, acrobats, talented fauna and bobbing apples in this exhilarating found-footage party. Part of The Children's Trilogy, together with Cotillion (c. 1938/1969) and The Midnight Party (c. 1938/1969).

#Bales2025FilmChallenge #JosephCornell #children #party #ShortFilm #ExperimentalFilm #CollageFilm #FoundFootage #USA #1930s #1960s ★★★★☆ ♥︎

The Automatic Motorist (Walter R. Booth, 1911)

Dec

17

Saturnalia

While on the ringed planet, they pick up a cop to save him from spear-wielding rascals, but he elopes with the planet's fairy. Look at those lovebirds on the rings of Saturn!

A planet with rings for Saturnalia

Two lovely newlyweds and their robot chauffeur take a trip to Saturn for their honeymoon, followed by a jolly ride under the sea. A remake of Booth's own The '?' Motorist from 1906.

#Bales2025FilmChallenge #Saturnalia #Saturn #planets #WalterRBooth #ShortFilm #SilentFilm #comedy #fantasy #SciFi #UK #1910s ★★★★☆

Report (Bruce Conner, 1967)

Nov

23

1963

Television footage of JFK's state funeral with the caption “November 23, 1963”, superimposed over it.

#FilmDuJour #November #BruceConner #JohnFKennedy #JFK #JacquelineKennedyOnassis #LeeHarveyOswald #ShortFilm #ExperimentalFilm #crime #politics #USA #1960s ★★★½