Like a river, historical time is not linear. It changes course, takes detours, and overflows. Shapeshifting currents flow upstream and sideways, changing long-established landscapes. In a program that examines glass slides for magic lanterns, the traces of Dutch colonial life in Manhattan, and the scars of civil war in Abkhazia, these three women documentarians sharply challenge dominant historical narratives and untangle the power structures beneath them. It takes a keen eye to find the way upstream.
A personal meditation on the early history of cinema, the anxiety of aging, and the woeful comedy of professional envy. 16mm footage of six “magic lantern” glass slides from the turn of the last century wryly evoke the Structural film tradition of anti-illusionist cinema and demystification.
- Year2022
- Runtime9 minutes
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorSasha Waters
Like a river, historical time is not linear. It changes course, takes detours, and overflows. Shapeshifting currents flow upstream and sideways, changing long-established landscapes. In a program that examines glass slides for magic lanterns, the traces of Dutch colonial life in Manhattan, and the scars of civil war in Abkhazia, these three women documentarians sharply challenge dominant historical narratives and untangle the power structures beneath them. It takes a keen eye to find the way upstream.
A personal meditation on the early history of cinema, the anxiety of aging, and the woeful comedy of professional envy. 16mm footage of six “magic lantern” glass slides from the turn of the last century wryly evoke the Structural film tradition of anti-illusionist cinema and demystification.
- Year2022
- Runtime9 minutes
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorSasha Waters