7:30 p.m. –  ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

(Grand Prize Winner @ Cannes 2011 from Turkey)

Friday through Wednesday, January 27 through February 1 @ 7:30 p.m. plus Saturday, February 4 @ 2:30 p.m.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. The Grand Jury Prize Winner @ Cannes 2011 by Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan (The Small Town, Clouds Of May, Distant, Climates and Three Monkeys). A murder has been committed and a man has confessed; all that remains is for him to lead police to the body so they can wrap the case. In the dead of night, two cars and a Jeep carrying the murderer, the police chief and the prosecutor set out to find the burial spot. As the small convoy inches its way through the darkness of the deserted countryside, it becomes clear that the killer can’t locate the place where he left his victim. Cigarettes are smoked; conversations occur and refresh­ments are served in a local village; nothing significant seems to happen. Yet whether we are aware of it or not, small clues are being planted along the way.  Like a game of chess, the grand design of this subtle and disturbing film comes increasingly into focus as events progress. Things are not always as they appear to be, and in Kafka-like gestures, people, emo­tions and events are developed in different and deeper ways. Once Upon A Time in Anatolia is ambiguous enough that we must concentrate on all the details of the canvas before the full story becomes apparent — or does it? A number of doors open teasingly, creating a labyrinthine world that mirrors our present incomprehension at so many contemporary events. What is truth and how we find it are some of the questions Ceylan raises in this superior exploration of a crime and its investigation.

Zeitgeist

Multi-disciplinary Arts Center

1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70113

504 352-1150

rene@zeitgeistinc.net

Admission to all events are

$8 general / $7 students + seniors / $6 Zeitgeist members + children / Free Zeitgeist Patrons

unless otherwise mentioned.

There are separate admissions.  See two or more events on the same night for only $5 each.

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Now serving POPSTARS icicle treats from Chef Neal. 

Thursday, February 2 @ 7:00 p.m.
THE WEIRD WORLD OF BLOWFLY by Jonathan Furmanski presented by legendary musician/rapper/producer BLOWFLY (a.k.a. Clarence Reid) in person.  Clarence Reid is a musician who wrote and produced romantic and spiritual songs for some of the greatest Southern soul and R&B acts of the 1960s and ’70s. He is also the gonzo performer Blowfly, Clarence’s freaky alter ego and the original X-rated rapper. “The Weird World of Blowfly” explores both sides of this hilarious and controversial artist, providing a rare, inside peek at the infamous linguist’s daily life. Now 69-years-old, with a gold-spangled superhero costume and a catalog of the world’s raunchiest tunes, Blowfly tours the world, still struggling for success and recognition after 50 years of making music. The film highlights both Clarence’s and Blowfly’s unique contributions to music history, including Top-10 R&B hits and what might be the world’s first rap song, recorded in 1965. Shot over the course of two years, the film follows Clarence at home and around the world, featuring dozens of classic Blowfly songs as well as new hits. A revealing portrait of an unheralded man, “The Weird World of Blowfly” celebrates his musical and cultural significance as a rapper and soul music legend.  A Q + A will follow.  Presented by the New Orleans Film Society.

Friday through Thursday, February 3 through 9 @ 6:00 p.m. (except Monday)

THE CITY DARK by Ian Cheney.  THE CITY DARK is a feature documentary from the acclaimed director of King Corn, The Greening Of Southie, Big River, and Truck Farm, about the loss of night. After moving to NYC from rural Maine, filmmaker Ian Cheney asks a simple question – do we need the stars? – taking him from Brooklyn to Mauna Kea, Paris, and beyond. Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawaii, tracking hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing injured birds on Chicago streets, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights – including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above. Featuring stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists, THE CITY DARK is the definitive story of light pollution and the disappearing stars.  Featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson – Astrophysicist, Hayden Planetarium; Don Pettit – Astronaut, NASA; Ann Druyan – Co-writer, Cosmos; Jack Newton – Astrophotographer; Chris Impey – Cosmologist, University of Arizona Jeffrey Kuhn – Astronomer, University of Hawaii; Roger Ekirch – Historian, Virginia Tech; Jane Brox – Author, Brilliant; Bill Sharpe – Historian, Barnard College; Susan Elbin – Ornithologist; Dr. Steven Lockley – Professor, Harvard University; Dr. Richard Stevens – Epidemiologist, University of Connecticut; Dr. George Brainard – Neurologist, Thomas Jefferson University; Dr. David Blask – Cellular Biologist, Tulane University; Jon Shane – Criminologist; Herve Descottes – Lighting Designer.

Friday through Thursday, February 3 through 9 @ 7:30 p.m. (except Monday)

KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND by Marius Holst. This true story of the infamous Bastøy Boys Home correctional facility in Norway, begins with the arrival of seventeen-year-old Erling, a rumored murderer.  He immediately clashes with the island facility’s governor (Stellan Skarsgård, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), who believes manual labor, rigid discipline, and harsh punishment are the only methods that can turn the boys into honorable members of society. Refusing to accept the constant abuse, Erling slowly rouses the rest of the boys out of their resigned existence, and encourages them to fight to lift up their spirits. When tragedy finally falls at the hand of the sadistic dorm master, Erling leads his comrades in a courageous and vicious rebellion that will bring them head to head with no less than the Norwegian Army.  Screens with the British short film BALE by Al Mackay. A misunderstanding between 3 young boys and a group of teenagers sparks a frightening chain of events in the British countryside.

Monday, February 6 @ 8:00 p.m.

PLANET D NONET (from Detroit) in Concert. The Planet D Nonet was founded by musicians RJ Spangler & James O’Donnell in 2007. The PD9 plays the swing music of Ellington, Strayhorn & Henderson + Sun Ra. Not your grand parents swing band (aka the Space Age Swing Band). A typical Planet D Nonet gig might involve very early jazz from Louis Armstrong or Mezz Mezzrow, Duke Ellington & Fletcher Henderson swing charts from the ’30′s, proto-Detroit R&B from Paul “Huckelbuck” Williams, King Porter or Todd Rhodes or space-age jazz from Sun Ra. The PD9 can play a swing dance, a concert performance a small pub or an art gallery. Whatever they do, they always have a Detroit twist & plenty of good humor with an eye toward turning people onto this music.  They played Zeitgeist last year and it was freakin’ amazing!  Not to be missed.  Presented by Scatterjazz. $10.

Sunday & Monday, February 12 & 13 @ 7:30 p.m.

RURAL ROUTE FILM FESTIVAL TOUR presented by Festival Director Alan Webber. An independent film festival based in the urbanopolis of New York city featuring “Films by and about rural people & places”.  Come early each night to dine in our lobby with gourmet food from NOLA LOCAVORE’S LOCAL FOODS CAFÉ.

Sunday, February 12 @ 7:30 pm.

RURAL ROUTE “BEST OF THE FEST” SHORTS PROGRAM featuring ANIMA MUNDI – an experimental short combining thousands of individual images of flowers to create a unique, fluid aesthetic; HOLLAND, MI – Portrait of 80 year old shoe carver, Elmer Veldfeer, who lives and works on a tulip farm in Holland, MI;  THE BEES – a documentary portraying the life of a Lebanese beekeeper;  PLOT – In the heart of the city, beyond the green metal fences, the cycle of growth marches on;  WE ARE NOT WHAT THEY SAY WE ARE – looks at the complicated lives of two teen Romany Gypsies;  TRACTOR CHICKEN SCENE FROM OUR FOOTLOOSE REMAKE – When Paramount Pictures announced they would be re-making the classic Kevin Bacon film, these young filmmakers decided they were fed up and said, “Let’s beat them to the punch!”;  WE’RE LEAVING – Rusty has to find a new place to live with his wife and his teenage alligator, Chopper;  FROM THE ASHES – A Canadian film about the rejuvenation of life from the ashes of a forest fire;  FIRELINE – A visceral and meditative insight into fighting wildland fires;  AWOL – Days before deploying to Afghanistan, a young women dreams about running away to Canada.

Monday, February 13 @ 7:30 p.m.

THE GREENHORNS by Severine von Tscharner Fleming. The Greenhorns documents the emergence of a new cultural icon, the young American farmer. The project began in November 2007 when activist and young farmer Severine von Tscharner Fleming graduated college and hit the road in her retrofitted station wagon. She was looking for a few acres of her own to grow on. Along the way, she started recording the stories and visions of fellow young farmers America.  These young 21^st century farmers are the ‘greenhorns.’ Viewers may be surprised by such a diverse and sophisticated group of growers: punky urban gardeners, radical Christians, ex-suburbanites, Industrial Designers, former teachers, children of migrant farm workers, inner city kids and many more. The film’s arresting visual style renders this crowd in open fields and dewy meadows, and just as eloquently on urban rooftops, community greenhouses, repurposed refinery lots and neighborhood backyards.  Collectively, the film’s farmers have overcome innumerable obstacles. They have been kicked off rental property only to fight for land on rooftops and in between multi-lane highways. They have lost crops and money but found a partner. They have gone years without a day off but discovered a passion. Through these and many other hardships, these greenhorns still optimistically strive to feed their communities and steward a piece of the earth.  Dozens of interviews with experts and movement leaders give another shade of meaning to the current ‘greenhorn’ phenomenon. Authors Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Heinberg and others help viewers understand why these farmers strive the way they do.

Friday, February 10 @ 7:30 p.m.

Visiting Irish filmmaker MOIRA TIERNEY (from Dublin’s SOLUS Film Collective) presents

MOIRA TIERNEY FILM PROGRAMME (RETRO 2000-2010).

MOIRA TIERNEY studied at University College Dublin and the Ecole Nationale d’Arts de Cergy-Paris before moving to New York on a Fulbright Scholarship to Anthology Film Archives. She has completed over twenty short films, including MATILDA TONE, a documentary financed by the Irish Arts Council and the Taoiseach’s Department and the AMERICAN DREAMS series (listed as one of the best films of the year by the Village Voice in 2003 and selected for the Irish Film Board’s Reel Ireland Programme). She is co-founder of the Dublin-based film collective SOLUS and has represented Ireland abroad at numerous festivals, museums and gallery screenings. Zeitgeist is honored to co-host Moira for a two month artist residency here in New Orleans.  Full details of her filmography can be found at www.moiratierney.net

Lucha Libre  - 3 mins Moira Tierney / silent

Shot in El DF – Mexico City – canvas poundin and divided allegiances …

Tiger Me Bollix 3.5 mins Image Moira Tierney / Music Andrew Lampert

Winnie Collins & Gang whoop it up beside the caravans where they live in Dublin’s South Docks.

The film was shot at their request; the music was composed & recorded subsequently in New York.

You Can’t Keep A Good Snake Down 4 mins Moira Tierney & Masha Godovannaya

For a long time Saint Patrick has been touted as the redemptor of Pagan Ireland: the man who rid the country of its snake population. We felt it was time to redress thishistorical imbalance & give the snakes their due.

Radio Haiti - Super-8mm/16mm 4 mins Moira Tierney

New York’s Haitian community take it to the bridge to protest a year of mortal policing

American Dreams #1 & #2 - 3 mins Moira Tierney

The first two instalments of a continuing saga: Lust for Wander & Running Free

American Dreams #3 - 5 mins Image Moira Tierney / Music Charlemagne Palestine

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (what happens when the smoke clears?)

Circus - 3 mins Image Moira Tierney / Sound Dalius Naujokaitis

Hot grainy tightrope walkers, Chinese acrobats, Russian human towers & an inverted Wall of Death

Morzh (Walrus) - 3 mins Moira Tierney

Moscow tower block polar bear

Untitled (#718) - 3 mins Moira Tierney

The wolf has made it right to your door

Hope’s Voice - 10 mins Moira Tierney / silent

Hope’s Voice is a Super-8mm portrait of the Hope’s Voice campaign members during a photo shoot in Brooklyn and Harlem in the summer of 2006. www.hopesvoice.org

American Dreams 4 - 8 mins Moira Tierney

Shot on Elder Avenue in the Bronx: a mural painted in honour of Amadou Diallo, who lived just down the block; daily life in the ‘hood, where people are de facto targets for police bullets, but go about their daily lives regardless, doing the shopping, sweeping the street, looking after the kids …

Habibi - 7 mins Moira Tierney

Filmed in New York in the summer of 2006: a march across the Brooklyn Bridge in support of the Lebanese population. Habibi means Beloved in Arabic.

Are We There Yet? - 10 mins Moira Tierney /  Music Macdara Smith

Shot on the Irish border and blown up to 16mm; I kept it all in – the jumps and the flares as well as the conventionally well-behaved footage; for me it represents the paradox of the border and the struggle one faces when attempting to describe something that slippery – landscape? political imposition? colonial hangover? to be avoided in polite conversation? fact of fiction? comedy, tragedy or farce? to which the only answer I could find is another question: are we there yet?

Saturday, February 11 @ 7:30 p.m.

SOLUS COLLECTIVE PROGRAMME #3 presented by visiting Irish Filmmaker MOIRA TIERNEY.

SOLUS is an independent film collective and platform for film-makers working in Super-8mm / 16mm / 35mm, DV and HD based in Dublin, Ireland. It has the dual aim of showing Irish short and avant-garde films abroad and international short and avant-garde films in Ireland. The collective has provided programmes for international exhibition in New York, St. Petersburg, Marseilles, Mauritania, Trinidad, Cairo, Tunis and Luxor … In 2009 SOLUS produced the Irish/Arabian Avant-garde Film Tour which brought the work of over 20 filmmakers and artists from Muslim and Arabic-speaking countries to 8 venues around Ireland, running concurrently with the screening of work by 15 emerging and established Irish and international filmmakers in three North African venues. In 2008/2009 SOLUS curated programmes of new shorts from the Balkans, North Africa, Egypt and U.S.A. for Dublin Electronic Arts Festival (D.E.A.F.)  For 2010 and 2011 similar touring programmes of new Russian and Korean work were developed. www.moiratierney.net/solus.htm

INTRO & OUTRO LOOP:

Chrysalis (Ronan Coyle, Ireland, 2 min)

From chrysalis to butterfly; a revolving planetary interpretation.

PROGRAMME:

Horse Outside (Rubberbandits, Ireland, 4 min)

A hip-hop music video from Ireland’s cultural icons the Rubberbandits:  vehicular versus hooved transportation, aka how to get your girl in 21st-century Ireland.

Ko mi debo (Les filles du bled, Mauritania, DV, 4 min)  Mauritanian feminist hip-hoppers stand up for themselves, at the forefront of a changing society.

Ouroboros II (Alan Lambert, Ireland, DV, 2 min)  Down at the track, this is what it all boils down to.

La-bas dans la capitale (Ahmed Talek Ould Taleb Lehiar, Mauritania, DV, 3 min)  Saharan nomads forced out of the desert by economic circumstances, struggling to survive in the city.

The Good Boy (Ahmed Ghoneimy, Egypt, DV, 7 min)  How high are the walls and how long can they keep you confined?

Maze (Hugh Mcgrory, Ireland, Super-8mm/DV, 3 min)  Shot on Super-8 on a wind-up clockwork Russian military camera; a film about the empty Maze/Long Kesh Prison outside Belfast, scene of the Hunger Strikes in 1981.

Les Malles (Felix Samba N’diaye, Senegal, 16mm, 14 min)  Urban detritus reclaimed; shot in a scrapyard by seminal Senegalese documentarian Felix Samba N’diaye.

Nouakchott Rocks (Moira Tierney, Ireland/Maritania, Super-8mm/DV, 21 min)  The neighborhood of Tevragh Zeina in Nouakchott, Mauritania:  football on the Saharan sand, ladies & gents busy about their daily affairs, a Berber tent and a factory producing hand-made concrete blocks for the steadily growing city.

PLEASE NOTE:  Moira Tierney’s artist residency at Zeitgeist is presented through the generous support of Culture Ireland.

Friday & Saturday, February 10 & 11 @ 9:30 p.m. plus Sunday, Feb. 12 @ 5:00 p.m.

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: THE SACRED STAR OF MILOS by  Kazuya Murata. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, a new feature-length adventure into the world of the international steampunk anime sensation. A fugitive alchemist with mysterious abilities leads the Elric brothers to a distant valley of slums inhabited by the Milos, a proud people struggling against bureaucratic exploitation. Ed and Al quickly find themselves in the middle of a rising rebellion, as the exiled Milos lash out against their oppressors. At the heart of the conflict is Julia, a young alchemist befriended by Alphonse. She’ll stop at nothing to restore the Milos to their former glory – even if that means harnessing the awful power of the mythical Philosopher’s Stone.

Tuesday through Thursday, February 14 through 16 @ 7:30 p.m.

A BOATLOAD OF WILD IRISHMEN: A Portrait of Robert Flaherty by Mac Dara O Carraidbin. Robert Flaherty (1884-1951) was the man credited with being the father of the modern documentary film after he produced and directed “Nanook of the North” in 1922. Flaherty is one of the great name directors in the history of cinema and to this day films such as “Moana”, “Man of Aran” and “Louisiana Story” are widely regarded as classics and still regularly screened.  Flaherty is also a controversial figure in that he was also the first to show that filming the everyday life of real people could be molded into dramatic, entertaining narratives. The minute he chose to stage scenes in order to make a better film out of his seminal Inuit project “Nanook of the North“, he was opening documentary’s Pandora’s Box. And with his later work in Samoa, the Aran Islands and Louisiana first raised such enduring topics of documentary ethics as ethnographic falsification, exploitation of one’s subjects and the perils of corporate sponsorship. But this entertaining portrait of Flaherty shrewdly looks beyond standard polemical positions to present a complex view of the man and his work (shown in vivid excerpts). A BOATLOAD OF WILD IRISHMEN includes testimony from Flaherty himself as well as contributions from amongst others, Richard Leacock - cameraman on “Louisiana Story” (1948) and father of the contemporary hand-held documentary style, Martha Flaherty - Flaherty’s Inuit granddaughter, George Stoney - documentary filmmaker and professor at New York University, Seán Crosson - film scholar at the Huston School of Film, Jay Ruby - anthropologist and film scholar at Temple University, and Deirdre Ní Chonghaile - musician and folklorist from Árainn, as well as telling interviews with the people whose parents and grandparents Flaherty put onto the cinema screens of the world: Inuit, Samoans and, of obvious personal interest to the Irish filmmakers, the ‘wild men’ of Aran.

We will be closed February 17 through 23 for Mardi Gras.

Opening February 24:

ULTRASUEDE: IN SEARCH OF HALSTON by Whitney Sudler-Smith. A glowing, prismatic portrait of the rise and fall of America’s first celebrity designer—Halston—the man who was synonymous with fashion in the 1970s, and became the emperor of NYC nightlife. Interviews with friends and witnesses (including Liza Minnelli, Diane Von Furstenberg, André Leon Talley, Anjelica Huston, Bob Colacello, and Billy Joel, among others) round out this glittering evocation of the man who defined the most beautiful and decadent era of recent memory.

Opening February 24:

DON’T GO IN THE WOODS by Vincent D’Onofrio.  Don’t Go in the Woods is sound advice, especially when there’s a killer on the loose. First-time director Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) explores love, greed and ruthlessness in this twisted musical/horror hybrid, telling the story of a young band who heads to the woods to get away from their everyday lives in order to focus on writing new songs. Hoping to walk away from the trip with new tunes that will score them their big break, they instead find themselves in the middle of a nightmare beyond comprehension. The film cleverly walks an unusual line, maintaining genuine suspense alongside a sinister sense of dread that haunts the characters as it explores the lengths that people will go in order to make their dreams come true. Displaying the musical talents of a gifted ensemble cast as they sing songs penned by acclaimed singer-songwriter Sam Bisbee, Don’t Go in the Woods unexpectedly veers from terrifying horror to musical moments that wouldn’t be out of place on “Glee,” truly keeping viewers captivated, terrified and entertained in equal measure. Starring Bo Boddie, Eric Bogosian, Gwynn Galitzer, Jorgen Jorgensen, Tim Lajcik, Soomin Lee, Kate O’Malley, Matt Sbeglia, Casey Smith, Nick Thorp, and Cassandra Walker.

Opening March 2:

CRAZY HORSE by Frederick Wiseman. Inside Paris’s Crazy Horse Cabaret – the most famous nude dance show in the world. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman explores one of the most mythic and colorful places dedicated to women, the Crazy Horse – a legendary Parisian cabaret club, founded in 1951 by Alain Bernardin. Over the years it has become the Parisian nightlife ‘must’ for visitors, ranking alongside the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Wiseman’s impeccable eye finds the Crazy Horse a uniquely French showcase, with an emphasis on elegance, perfectionism and a grueling schedule (2 shows a night and 3 on Saturdays, 7 days a week). The film shows us the rehearsals for and the unveiling of the brand new show – Désir – created by the renowned French choreographer Phillippe Decoufle.

Saturday, March 3 @ 10:00 p.m.

EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE presents DOGGIE WOGGIEZ! POOCHIE WOOCHIEZ!  All Dogs Go on Tour! EIT!, as they have been lovingly dubbed by their followers, are the video collective responsible for some of the most intriguing and horrifying viral videos in the Universe. From cat massages to pedophile-hunting yellow dinosaurs, EIT! salvages the best VHS moments from thrift stores across the nation and posts their daily finds on the Internet for the world to see. Each year, the group edits thousands of these resurrected treasures into one mind-melting feature-length movie. With DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez!, EIT! has elevated their craft to new heights, creating a remake of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s 1973 Film, The Holy Mountain, using only dog-related found footage! After a grueling year of combing every Air Bud movie for something remotely worthwhile, the group is groomed and ready to tour the continent in homemade, full-body mascot costumes, delivering a psychedelic live show experience that can not be rivaled. This all-new “live in the fur” show picks up where Cirque Du Soleil and The Rock-A-Fire Explosion left off… finally. Oh yeah, and ARFFFF!  $10 at door. $8 in advance.

Opening March 9:

TOMBOY by Celine Sciamma. In “Tomboy,” filmmaker Céline Sciamma’s (“Water Lilies,”) second feature, a family with two daughters, 10-year-old Laure (brilliantly portrayed by Zoe Heran) and 6-year-old Jeanne, moves to a new suburban neighborhood during the summer holidays. With her Jean Seberg haircut and tomboy ways, Laure is immediately mistaken for a boy by the local kids, and decides to pass herself off as “Mikael,” a boy different enough to catch the attention of leader of the pack Lisa, who becomes smitten. At home with her parents and girlie younger sister, she is Laure: hanging out with her new pals and girlfriend, she is Mikael. Finding resourceful ways to hide her true self, Laure takes advantage of her new identity, as if the end of the summer would never reveal her unsettling secret. Céline Sciamma brings a light and charming touch to this contemporary coming-of-age story, which is also about relationships between children, children and parents, and the even more complicated one between one’s heart and body.  Winner Teddy Award – Best Feature – Berlin Film Festival; Jury Prize – Best Feature – Philadelphia Int. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; Audience Award – Frameline: San Francisco Int. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; Best Feature – Torino Int. Film Festival; Best Actress – Zoe Heran – New Fest – NY.

Opening March 9:

MICHAEL by Markus Schleinzer.  Michael (Michael Fuith) is a mousy insurance agent who lives alone — or so everyone thinks. In a move that obliterates the established norms of audience empathy towards a central character, he’s the protagonist and antagonist in a movie about an extremely controversial subject, one that will jolt even the most hardened filmgoer. Michael is a child molester who keeps a ten-year-old boy (David Rauchenberger) locked up in his basement. And yet he is still given a loving mother (Christine Kain) and a sister (Ursula Strauss) who doesn’t want him to spend the holidays alone.  In terms of shocking crime films, Michael is the equivalent of a whisper. The film muffles out the details as to whether taking prisoners is a frequent habit or something the character has never done before. Michael isn’t a psychological drama about what has already gone wrong in this predator’s life — it’s a tense and artfully crafted thriller about whether or not he is ever going to get caught. Schleinzer tells an emotionally restrained story and resists passing judgment on his character’s monstrous nature. In this context, Michael is one of the best suspense films to show its (admittedly contentious) face on this year’s festival circuit. Having worked as an actor and casting director since the early nineties, Markus Schleinzer has a special knack for introducing viewers to characters they cannot help but stare at, even if they don’t particularly like them. (His work as casting director on Michael Haneke’s 2009 film The White Ribbon is a prime example of this.) As carefully crafted as so many of these characters were, Schleinzer’s provocative directorial debut, Michael, puts his talent to the ultimate test. Winner Best Feature – Viennnale; Best Actor – Michael Fuith – Max Ophuls Prize.

Saturday, March 10 @ 5:00 p.m.

CHILDRENS’ FILMS

presented by visiting filmmaker MOIRA TIERNEY (SOLUS FILM COLLECTIVE, Dublin, Ireland.)  The first four of these films were shot during Super-8mm workshops, given by the Film Flamme Association in Marseille and by Moira Tierney in Dublin, Fermanagh and Toulouse.  The children were at total liberty to proceed as they desired; adult input consisted of technical support (how the camera and sound equipment works) and post-production (the films were primarily edited in-camera; post production consisted of assembling the images and sound according to the childrens’ instructions).  The fifth film was shot by children in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) of County Cork, Ireland, during a workshop led by Donal O’Ceilleachair.

PROGRAMME:

LA DREAM TEAM         Super-8mm           3 mins

Shot by children from the Joliette neighbourhood in Marseille during a workshop given by the Film Flamme Association.  This film is one of a series entitled CinéJoliette.

LIBERTY KIDS                 Super-8mm         5 mins         

Shot by the children of 4th class, St. Audoen’s Primary  School, Dublin, during a workshop given by Moira Tierney.  The Liberties is a low-income area of Dublin’s inner city;  St. Audoen’s is a public school with very meager resources, but one very energetic teacher who hosted the workshop, which took place during her regular classroom hours.

BELLEFONT 31!              Super-8mm           20 min         

Shot by a group of children from l’Acceuil Jeune at the Centre Culturel Alban Minville in Bellefontaine, Toulouse, during a workshop given by Moira Tierney. Bellefontaine, aka Bellefont, is a housing estate outside Toulouse.

COLLECTIVE FILM           Super-8mm        22 mins      

Shot by children from Florencecourt and Killyhommon Primary Schools in Eniskillen, County Fermanagh, during a workshop given by Moira Tierney.  Fermanagh is just over the border into Northern Ireland; the workshop was part of the Peace III Project 2010.

FÉILEACÁN SOLAS DVD/35mm 5 mins

Inspired by Stan Brakhage’s Mothlight, the children of  Coláiste Ghobnatan, Scoil Chúil Aodha, Scoil Bhaile Mhúirne, Scoil Chill na Martra, Scoil Ré na nDoirí, Scoil Bhéal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh and Scoil Mhuire i mBéal Ath’n Ghaorthaidh (7 schools in County Cork, Ireland) have made their own collective 35mm collage animation film.

Sunday, March 11 @ 5:00 p.m.

GRACE SPACE PROGRAMME (FILMS BY MOIRA TIERNEY) A compilation of short films documenting performance art events, 2008-2011 Produced by Grace Exhibition Space Brooklyn; Shot and edited by visiting filmmaker Moira Tierney (SOLUS COLLECTIVE, Dublin, Ireland).

GRACE EXHIBITION SPACE, opened in 2006, is the only gallery in New York City devoted to Performance-Art. Over the course of four years (2008-2011) Moira Tierney documented a variety of performances by international artists at the space. Limited to 3-5 cartridges of film, Tierney captures the essence of these ephemeral events. The editing is primarily in-camera; the raw footage gives us a fleeting sense of the experience of these action-based events.  Grace Exhibition Space is directed by Jill McDermid and Erik Hokanson, who participate in international performance art festivals as artists and curators in Europe, Asia and Central and South America. Grace Space is committed to exhibiting the world’s leading performance artists, whether emerging, mid-career or established. Events are presented in a Brooklyn loft, with performances taking place on the same level as the viewers; the boundary between artist and audience is dissolved. Grace Space believes that this is how performance art should be viewed, presented and experienced. Its mission is the glorification of performance art. www.grace-exhibition-space.com 

PROGRAMME:

Eat Lamb – A performance by Eric Hokansen at the Jajo Gallery, Newark New Jersey, november 15th 2008 with Jill Mcdermid, Rachel Hoffman & Germaul Barnes; Super-8mm/DV 7 mins   silent    b/w

Live Action New York – Scandinavian performance art at Grace Exhibition Space, Brooklyn New York, november 11th 2009: Featuring Eric Hokansen, Joakim Stampe, Roi Vaara andMimosa Pale; super-8mm/DV   15 minutes    silent b/

Performance – a performance by Jill Mcdermid at English Kills Gallery, Brooklyn New York, december 2009; Super-8mm/DV   4.5 minutes    silent b/w

Live Large, Baby! – Performance art at Grace Exhibition Space, Brooklyn New York, march 12th 2010: Featuring Chen Shi-Yo, Chen Jin, Coral Short, Jeffery Byrd and Steve Vanoni; super-8mm/DV   19 minutes    silent  b/w

Non Grata US Tour – Performance by the Non Grata Group at Grace Exhibition Space, Brooklyn New York, november 5th 2010; Super-8mm/DV 10 minutes silent b/w

Thursday & Friday, March 15 & 16 @ 7:30 p.m.

PUBLIC DOMAIN presented by visiting Canadian filmmakers RYAN STEC & VERONIQUE COUILLARD. In June 2009, SAW Video in Ottawa commissioned seven media artists to create new video works from public domain materials in the film/video/audio collection at Library and Archives Canada. The result is Public Domain, a program of six new videos that premiered in Ottawa June 23rd, 2010 and will tour across North America and Europe in 2011-12.  The range of mid-career and established media artists selected for this project represent a broad cross-section of media artists working in Canada. Bringing critical perspectives to bear on their found materials, the artists mine the nature of the image for its visual, narrative, mnemonic and evocative potential. While some of the resulting videos highlight the fragility and disappearance of images, others focus on their renaissance through re-contextualization.

The ARTISTS

Gennaro de Pasquale (Montreal) – Vortex, 12:08

Sara Angelucci (Toronto) – The Beauty Pageant News, 8:47

Maureen Bradley (Victoria) – Beyond the Pale, 16:00

Ryan Stec/Véronique Couillard (Ottawa) – Library and Archives Canada Public Domain Reels Documenting Spots of Beauty and Interest in Ontario and Quebec Sometime Ago Remixed Today (VCRS): 19752010, 3:00

Suzan Vachon (Montreal) – chant [dans les muscules du chant], 23:32

Steve Reinke (Chicago/Toronto) – Not Torn (Asunder from the Very Start), 9:57

The seven artists chosen to participate in the Public Domain project bring a range of approaches and artistic styles. Steve Reinke (Chicago/Toronto), already known for the use of archival documents in his video essays, transgresses the nature of the archival images he employs by giving them new context and meaning using a voice-over narrative. Sara Angelucci (Toronto) links the fragility and physical evanescence of the image with the volatility of memory and identity. Maureen Bradley (Victoria) employs a feminist and political approach in the form of essays which join the force of documentary images with a kind of personal docu-fiction. Gennaro de Pasquale (Montreal) collects images and sounds from multiple sources, which he then assembles in video collages according to their formal and semantic properties. Suzan Vachon (Montreal) gleans the archival collection looking for images with oneiric and evocative possibilities which she incorporates into her lyrical essay. The artistic duo Véronique Couillard and Ryan Stec (Ottawa) are particularly interested in the graphic qualities of analogue images, which they manipulate digitally using a process of live retouching and mixing that imparts a new rhythm and nature to the images.

Library and Archives Canada holds thousands of film documents which have become free of copyright. These documents cover a wide range of historic events which played a role in the collective history of Canada, such as the First and Second World Wars and our industrial development. In addition to documents of these historic events, the large collection of materials also includes home movies of private events such as garden parties, sporting matches and scenes of camaraderie amongst friends, soldiers and workers. These audio-visual recordings are traces of the private history of individuals, and each provides a different perspective on the passing of time. The high cost of royalties makes it difficult for many independent artistic projects to use archival documents. If royalties are not paid, the incorporation of archival material, while widespread, is often illegal, which immediately eliminates the possibility of public exhibition in galleries, at screenings, on television, etc. As a result, the use of archival documents and materials from Canadian history is often restricted to corporations and big-budget commercial productions. While Library and Archives Canada offers artists an inexpensive and publicly accessible alternative to this dilemma, researching, finding, and obtaining rights to materials at LAC can be complex, daunting and time-consuming. In order to facilitate access to audiovisual works in the public domain and to eliminate many of the obstacles which could hinder artists’ research, SAW Video provided research support throughout the duration of the Public Domain project. In screening the new videos and describing the process of the project year, Public Domain seeks to inspire artists to see the archives as a treasure trove for their own work. The project also raises broader questions about copyright/copyleft and specifically about the complex term public domain, a topic at the centre of an international critical discourse.

Of all the venues on the PUBLIC DOMAIN tour, Zeitgeist is the only one that has requested to host two separate screenings – one screening where the artists present the original films they selected  – one screening of the new films created by the artists, so audiences can contrast and see how the work was manipulated and changed and explore the artistic processes directly.

RYAN STEC AND VÉRONIQUE COUILLARD

RYAN STEC is a Winnipeg born/Ottawa based media artist and curator. His work experience and community involvement spans a wide variety of disciplines and interests. He has been heavily involved in the artist-run culture of Ottawa since 1998. He is currently the Artistic Director of Artengine.

VÉRONIQUE COUILLARD is a visual artist who works mostly with video, live video performances and video installation. A graduate from the fine arts program at the University of Ottawa, her work has been exhibited in Moncton, Guelph, Saskatoon, Québec, Tracadie-Sheila, Gatineau and other Canadian cities and towns, as well as in Cape Town (South Africa) and Vaasa (Finland).

Opening March 23:

THIS IS NOT A FILM by Mojtaba Mirtahmasb & Jafar Panahi. On December 20, 2010, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi (The White Balloon, Offside) was convicted of “assembly and colluding with the intention to com­mit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” His sentence: six years in prison and a twenty-year ban on filmmaking or giving any form of interview. This is not a Film is a philosophical reflec­tion on the nature of making art; it is also an urgent and personal defense of the artist. Smuggled into France on a USB stick hidden inside a cake (flavor unidentified to shield the identity of its baker and/or courier), it is officially credited as an “effort” by Panahi and Mirtahmasb. On September 17, 2011, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb was arrested in Iran along with five other filmmakers. This Is Not a Film is one of the most brave and powerful political films ever made.  It is the ultimate work against censorship and oppression.

Wednesday, April 4 @ 7:30 p.m.

Visiting filmmaker/poet RUTH WEISS.  Dave Brinks from the Gold Mine Saloon is bringing legendary beat poet Ruth Weiss for a long overdue tribute.  One of the last surviving members of the “Beats”, Ruth Weiss lived in the French Quarter on Toulouse and was involved in the New Orleans jazz poetry scene 61 years ago, before heading out to San Francisco and being integral (but undersung) to what became the “beat poetry movement”.  She was also friends with Ferlinghetti, Kerouac, etc.  This is her first time back in New Orleans since.   As well, she had a new book published this year, “Can’t Stop The Beat.”
Ruth Weiss comes to Zeitgeist for one night to present an extremely rare screening of her films  “The Brink” (1961) is a 40 min. black-and-white.  Stan Brakhage called The Brink “one of the most important San Francisco films of the period”. It’s a playful love story about two lonely people and was photographed by Paul Beattie, the painter.  As well, there is an 18 min. documentary on her, “Ruth Weiss Meets Her Prometheus,” a 12 min. poetry performance footage “Las Cuevas De Albion,” and a 7 min. piece “Turnabout.”  “The Brink” has been screened at the Whitney Museum, Venice Biennale, the Beat Museum, etc.

Opening April 13:

KEYHOLE by Guy Maddin. The new comedy by the maverick, world renowned Canadian filmmaker (My Winnipeg, Tales From The Gimli Hospital, Archangel, Saddest Music In the World, etc.) In a house haunted with memories, gangster and father Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric) arrives home after a long absence tow­ing the body of a teenaged girl and a bound and gagged young man. His gang waits inside his house, having shot their way past police. There is friction in the ranks. Ulysses, however, is focused on one thing: journey­ing through the house, room by room, and reaching his wife Hyacinth (Isabella Rossellini) in her bedroom upstairs. His odyssey eventually becomes an emotional tour, as the strange nooks and crannies of the house reveal more about the mysterious Pick family.  Also starring Udo Kier, Kevin McDonald, David Wontner, Louis Negin, etc.  Screens as part of our monthly series CANADA IS BIGGER THAN THE U.S.

Opening April 20:

GOON by Michael Dowse.  Written by Jay Baruchel & Evan Goldberg.  Not content with his job as a bouncer at a local Beantown bar and a bit of an embarrassment to his accomplished family, Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) dreams of the kind of success enjoyed by minor league hockey goon Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber). When a chance encounter with an on-ice thug leads to a bloody fist fight that Doug easily wins, the coach of the Halifax Highlanders sees potential in this mammoth sized man who is only hampered by his lack of any hockey playing ability and his brother’s old figure skates. Standing up to the taunts of the other players, Doug manages to join the team, and with the encouragement of his hockey obsessed best friend (Jay Baruchel) quickly becomes a rising star. Soon he’ll have the opportunity to face off against Ross “The Boss” Rhea and perhaps finally land a girlfriend. Now – all he needs is to learn how to skate. Also starring Eugene Levy, Kim Coates, Alison Pill, Marc-Andre Grondin, etc. Screens as part of our monthly series CANADA IS BIGGER THAN THE U.S.

Coming April 27 through May 6:

ZEITGEIST CREATIVE MUSIC CONCERT SERIES

Coming May 9 through 13:

the 9th PATOIS: NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL