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La sixième face du pentagone [The Sixth Face of the Pentagon] (Chris Marker + François Reichenbach, 1968)
Oct
21
1967
Armed police seen from the back. In front of him someone holds up a sign that reads WHY WAR. DPs: Tony Daval, Chris Marker & Christian Odasso.
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Le mystère Koumiko [不思議なクミコ / The Koumiko Mystery] (Chris Marker, 1965)
Oct
11
1964
A closeup of Koumiko's face, taken from a television screen. DP: Chris Marker.
“Mr. Everyman explains how to look like a Japanese and thus impress those wild and not very civilized people. Mrs. Everyman replies that for savages, they look remarkably civilized. Meanwhile, Mr. Everyman, seeing more people looking even more Japanese, is reassured. Mrs. Everyman sees soldiers parading in European uniform. She smiles ironically. But now a number of typical Japanese walk into the house. Her irony disappears. And Mr. Everyman is not ashamed to admit… he is mystified.”
– narrator
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Grey Gardens (Albert + David Maysles, Ellen Hovde + Muffie Meyer, 1975)
Oct
5
1973
Washed out felt-tip penned well-wishes read: OCTOBER 5th – 1973 “GREY GARDENS” AT 78 IT IS TRUE – YOU CAN LIVE TO BE 80 TOO. DPs: Albert & David Maysles.
“Thank you for your card and your ice-cream, I love you very much!”
– Edith 'Big Edie' Bouvier Beale, saying goodbye to her birthday party guests
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Calle Santa Fe (Carmen Castillo, 2007)
Oct
5
Miguel Enriquez holding Carmen Castillo in a family snapshot. DPs: Ned Burgess, Sebastián Moreno, Raphaël O'Byrne & Arnaldo Rodríguez.
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E-clip-se (Chris Marker, 1999)
Aug
11
1999
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Salesman (Albert + David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, 1969)
Mar
29
breakfast
Bible salesmen enjoying breakfast at a soulless motel. DP: Albert Maysles.
Watched on Good Friday.
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Weegee’s Coney Island [Coney Island] (Arthur “Weegee” Fellig, 1954)
Feb
10
Good Humor
Two chubby ladies on Coney Island's beach eating chocolate-coated ice cream bars on a stick, I guess Good Humor bars. The women both wear black shapeless bathing suits. One of them has a pink towel over her shoulders and her hair in rollers. The framing shows only part of the couple, but tells you all you need to know. DP: Weegee.
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Space Coast (Ross McElwee + Michel Negroponte, 1979)
Jan
30
A woman and man eating at a wooden table. It's dark, there's one candle, and the guy wearing Ray-Bans® holding his #beer has got something to say.
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Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (Robert Drew, 1963)
Dec
14
Alabama Day
Bobby on the phone, seen from the back. DP: Gregory Shuker.
In what he dubbed “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door”, George Wallace, Alabama governor, blocked Black students from walking into the University so he could uphold his inaugural promise of “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever”. This prompted a national crisis, resulting in the President issuing Executive Order 11111, making the #NationalGuard step in.
“Come Senators, Congressmen,
Please heed the call,
Don't stand in the doorway,
Don't block up the hall”
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Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers (Les Blank, 1980)
Dec
12
National 12 Hour Fresh Breath Day
Three representatives of the garlic festival. Their tees read: THE GARLIC TO SHARE WITH A FRIEND, MINE DOESN'T STINK, and WE LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS. DP: Les Blank.
“When he shows the 1978 film Always for Pleasure, about the food, music and indigenous culture of New Orleans, [Les Blank] has been known to whip up a pot of red beans and rice in the back of the theatre. [cont. below]
“Can you smell the garlic?”
– Alice Waters. During screenings, the audience would reply with “YES!”
“At presentations […] Blank can occasionally be spied tossing several heads of garlic into a toaster oven so that the aroma wafts over the audience at just the right mouth-watering moment.” (via)