settima

shortfilm

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

Apr

17

1912

L'eclisse del 17 aprile (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).

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

Feb

27

Even: As You and I (1937)

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

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

Feb

26

1936

憂國 (1966)

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

X2000 (François Ozon, 1998)

Jan

1

2000

X2000 (1998)

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.

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

Dec

19

Apollo 17

Le voyage dans la lune (1902)

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

Children's Party (1938)

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).

The Automatic Motorist (Walter R. Booth, 1911)

Dec

17

Saturnalia

The Automatic Motorist (1911)

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.

Report (Bruce Conner, 1967)

Nov

23

1963

Report  (1967)

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

München-Berlin Wanderung [Walking from Munich to Berlin] (Oskar Fischinger, 1927)

Nov

20

München-Berlin Wanderung (1927)

A bunch of Buben take a moment to pose between troublemaking. DP: Oskar Fischinger.

A journey or road trip*

 

Four weeks in four minutes, spanning decades in its disruptive form.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

Shoot (Barbara Burden, 1971)

Nov

19

1971

Shoot (1971)

Dunlap aiming at Burden at F Space, Santa Ana, California (via). DP: Barbara Burden.

“At 7:45 p.m. I was shot in the left arm by a friend.”

– Chris Burden