Academy of Avant-garde Film 1

elective courses
general courses

The student should be familiar with a wide range of issues

related to history and history of culture, social sciences.

She/He should have basic knowledge of film art - both feature

film and documentary film, contemporary art. The student

should recognize the basic genres of film art - recognize the

forms of expression belonging to film and audiovisual arts -

which traditionally belong to the cinema of fiction and cinema

of facts.

Classroom

Lecture classes combined with film screening, during which

students get acquainted with films of the main trends of the

film avant-garde, which formed the history of cinema, and

had a decisive influence on art history - from the 1920s to the

1980s, shaping the understanding of current artistic

realizations from both the field of cinema as well as

contemporary art. Classes deal comprehensively with the

tradition of avant-garde cinema and point out contemporary

documentary film productions, whose authors use the film

language developed on the basis of avant-garde, emphasizing

the referral of these film forms to social issues, forms of art

circulation and conditions related to its production.

The condition for participation in classes is to purchase a film

ticket. The cost of the ticket is: PLN 100.

Classes begin on October 3

Contact: gabriela.sitek@gmail.com

Buñuel and Salvador Dali, 1929, Golden Age by Luis Buñuel ,

1930), lyric document (including Berlin, symphony of the

great city Walter Ruttmann, 1927, Man with a camera Dziga

Wiertowa, 1929), a cinema of narrative experiments (An

invitation to travel Germaine Dulac , 1927), as well as the

pioneer productions of the Polish avant-garde film of the

1920s and 1930s. The adventure of a good man by Franciszka

Themerson and Stefan Themerson, 1937; films reconstructed

today based on traces of the surviving concepts of Pharmacy

by Bruce Checefsky 2001 , Melodious Trigger of that, 2006,

Jalu Kurek - OR - Rhythmic calculations by Ignacy

Szczepański, 1985). Paying attention to the tradition of the

twentieth century film avant-garde is important both due to

the development of its first film poetics and its constitutive

influence on the shape of avant-garde art (see R. W.

Kluszczyński, Film - Sztuka Awangardy, Warsaw-Łódź

1990). The program also foresees a place to look at the

experimental trends in the Polish documentary film of the

1940s and 1950s. Attention will be paid to the creativity of,

among others, Andrzej Panufnik, Tadeusz Makarczyński.

The participants will learn the tradition of the American

avant-garde cinema of the 1920s, 30s and 40s (including

Manhatta by Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler 1921, films by

Maya Deren, Fireworks by Kenetha Angera, 1947). The cycle

program covers the history of the American film avant-garde

of 1960-1980 (including works by Jonas Mekas, Stan

Brakhage Mothlight, Michael Snow, Tony Conrad, Andy

Worhola, Ken). The participants will learn the most important

concepts and realizations of Fluxus film experiments

(including the works of Joseph Beuys, Yoko Ono Nam June

Paik).

We will also pay attention to the British avant-garde creators

of this period (authors associated with The London Film-

Maker's Co-operative, including Malcolm Le Grice,

considered the creator of the so-called extended cinema,

Geoffrey Jones).

An integral part of the classes will be screenings of

contemporary documentary films drawing on the Avant-

Garde tradition and classic avant-garde films of the 1950s,

60s, 70s and 80s. The echoes of these traditions can be found

in contemporary documentary cinema as films whose authors

are nowadays one from the group of filmmakers most open to

the experiment. Documentary films often remain in the

festival circuit, outside the mainstream of cinema distribution.

Contemporary documentary cinema is currently one of the

most interesting and fastest growing film genres.

Documentary films, which were included in the ranking,

characterize the form's innovation, bringing them closer to the

border between the document and the experimental cinema.

During the course, the issue of creation in the documentary

film and the perspective from which the narrative is carried

out will be addressed, with the use of which means of

expression persuasive transmission of documents is built. An

important issue of the proposed activities will be the issue of

editing as a process of organizing film expression.

Classes are aimed at increasing the awareness of the impact of

film avant-garde traditions on the forms of expression present

in the contemporary film, in particular in the documentary

film, building the competence to perceive contemporary art.

The series of the lectures and screenings is the first part of the

avant-garde film program, consisting of two semester cycles

that covers issues of the history of avant-garde film - from the

1920s to the newest times.

1. Cinema of the Great Avant-garde - a Dadaist and

surrealist film

Mechanical Ballet Fernanda Légera, 1924, 19’

Antrakt René Claira, 1924, 25’

Andalusian Dog Luisa Buñuela i Salvadora Dali’ego, 1929,

21’,

Golden Age Luisa Buñuela, 1930, 63’

2. Cinema of the Great Avant-garde – lyric document

Berlin, Symphony of the Great City Waltera Ruttmanna, 1927,

79’

Man with a camera Dzigi Wiertowa, 1929, 80’

3. A city in a contemporary documentary film essay - 21

x New York by Piotr Stasik

21 x New York by Piotr Stasik, 2016, 71’

4. Directors of the Great Avant-garde and their work in

the contemporary documentary film

Invitation to a Journey Germaine Dulac, 1927, 36’

Love Other: The Story of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore

by Barbara Hammer, 2006, 55’

5. Polish film avant-garde from the 1920s to the 1960s -

pioneer projects of the Polish avant-garde film

The Adventure of a Good Citizen by Franciszka Themerson

and Stefan Themerson, 1937, 10’

Apteka Bruce’a Checefsky’ego, 2001, 10’,

Drobiazg melodyjny tegoż, 2006, 6’,

Jalu Kurek - RC - Rhythmical Calculations by Ignacy

Szczepański, 1985, 4’

Był sobie raz… by Walerian Borowczyk, Jan Lenica, 1957, 9’

Dom by Walerian Borowczyk, Jan Lenica, 1957, 11’

Own cinema, home movies / cinema amateur

Klucz do..., reż. Marcin Ziembiński, 1986, 16’

Przed zmierzchem, reż. Leszek Boguszewski, 1976, 7’

Mojave, reż. Wilhelm Sasnal¸ 2006, 6'

Rzeźbiarz z kamerą, reż. Marcin Giżycki, 2018, 29'

7. Cinema of the American avant-garde of the 1920s, 30s

and 40s - the works of Mai Deren

In the mirror of Maya Deren by Martina Kundlacek, 104’

Meshes of the Afternoon by Maya Deren i Alexander

Hammid, 1943, 14'.

Ritual in Transfigured Time by Maya Deren, 1946, 14',

8. Cinema of the American and Canadian avant-garde of

the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

Manhattan by Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler, 1921, 9’,

Light Rhythms by Francis Bruguiere and Oswell Blakeston

1930, 6’

Early abstractions by Harry Smith, 1939–56, 23’,

Neighbours by Norman McLaren, 1952, 9’;

9. Avant-garde in contemporary documentary films:

Beuys, dir. Andres Veiel

Beuys by Andres Veiel, Niemcy 2017, 107 min.

10. American film avant-garde - aesthetics of moral shock

Flaming Creatures by Jack Smith, 162-163, 45 min.

Fireworks by Kenneth Anger, 1947, 20 min.

Dyketactics by Barbara Hammer 1973, 4 min.

Beautiful People by David Wojnarowicz, 1987, 30 min.

Kiss, Empire, Blow job, Chelsea Girls by Andy Worhol

[fragments]

11. American film avant-garde of 1960-1980 - works of

Jonas Mekas, Stan Brakhage, Jacek Smith

The Brig, 1960, 64’ by Jonas Mekas;

Walden (Diaries, Notes, and Sketches), 1969, 177’ by Jonas

Mekas; [fragments]

Mothlight by Stan Brakhage, 1963, 4’

Early abstractions by Harry Smith, 1939–56, 23’,

Tom, Tom the Piper’s Son by Ken Jacobs [fragments]

The Flicker by Tony Conrad, 1966 [fragments]

12. Avant-garde in contemporary documentary films:

Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present, dir. Tyler

Hubby

Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present by Tyler Hubby,

USA, 96 min.

13. Avant-garde concepts and realizations of Fluxus film

experiments

Fluxfilm Anthology

The creators of the presented films: Nam June Paik, Dick

Higgins, George Maciunas, Chieko Shiomi, John Cavanaugh,

James Riddle, Yoko Ono, George Brecht, Robert Watts,

Pieter Vanderbiek, Joe Jones, Eric Anderson, Jeff Perkins,

Wolf Vostell, Albert Fine, George Landow, Paul Sharits, John

Cale, Peter Kennedy, Mike Parr, Ben Vautier

14. Found footage as a technique of avant-garde

realizations in contemporary documentary cinema

Dawson City: Frozen Time by Bill Morrison, USA, 2017, 120

min.

Evidentiary Bodies by Barbara Hammer, USA, 2018, 15 min.

15. Avant-garde work of Chris Marker

La jeteé by Chris Marker, 1962, 62 min.

Junkopia by Chris Marker, 1981, 62 min.

Basic reading:

 M. Giżycki, Awangarda wobec kina. Film w kręgu

polskiej awangardy artystycznej dwudziestolecia

międzywojennego, Warszawa 1996; Stefan i

Franciszka Themerson. Poszukiwania wizualne,

catalogue of exhipiton, Łódź 1981.

 A. Helman, Awangarda we francuskim i niemieckim

kinie niemym, Kino nieme. Historia kina, volume 1,

ed. T. Lubelski, I. Sowińska, R. Syska, Cracow 2009,

pp. 737-777.

 R. W. Kluszczyński, Film – sztuka Wielkiej

Awangardy, Warsaw-Lodz 1990.

 A. Pitrus, Film awangardowy w latach 1930–1959,

Kino klasyczne. Historia kina, volume 2, ed. T.

Lubelski, I. Sowińska, R. Syska, Cracow 2011, pp.

549-66

 A. Pitrus, Film awangardowy w latach 1960-1980,

Kino epoki nowofalowej. Historia kina, vol. 3, ed. T.

Lubelski, I. Sowińska, R. Syska, Cracow 2015

 M. Przylipiak, Poetyka kina dokumentalnego, Gdansk

2000

 Themersonowie i awangarda, ed. Paweł Polit, Lodz

2013

7

 P. A. Sitney, Visionary Film: The American Avant-

Garde, 1943-2000, New York 2002

Lektury zalecane:

 J. Kurek, Objaśniam OR, „Linia” 1933, no 5

 Sztuka w kinie dokumentalnym, ed. Paulina

Kwiatkowska, Matylda Szewczyk, Warsaw 2016

 Grupa ETC, Narracje, estetyki, geografie: Fluxus w

trzech aktach, 2014

 A. Pitrus, Fundament pamięci – o „fotograficznej

powieści” Chrisa Markera, „Kwartalnik Filmowy”

2006, no 54-55, pp. 231-236

 M. Radkiewicz, „Władczynie spojrzenia”. Teoria

filmu a praktyka reżyserek i artystek, Cracow 2010

 M. Stępnik, Lustra, maski, sobowtóry... Maya Deren i

jej siostry w maskaradzie, Outsiderzy, mistyfikatorzy,

eskapiści w sztuce XX wieku. Studium postaw

twórczych, Wydawnictwo UMCS, Lublin 2016, pp.

103-134

- The student knows the most important artists and the most

outstanding works of contemporary avant-garde cinema and

its connection with a documentary film

 The student knows the most important trends, phenomena

and creators in the history of avant-garde cinema and its

relationship with the art of documentary film

 The student knows what social and historical issues

correspond to avant-garde films and using means developed

on the basis of avant-garde documentary films

 The student knows the historical and socio-cultural context

of contemporary documentary cinema and the most frequently

discussed issues in specific films

 The student knows, by means of which theoretical and

analytical tools, to examine avant-garde film - both its global

realizations and films made in Poland and referring to the

native context

 The student understands the functioning and meaning of

video and avant-garde films in various cultural contexts and is

able to use the analytical tools assimilated in the classes in

independent broadening of knowledge in the field of

contemporary art exhibited in Warsaw galleries

Skills:

 The student is able to analyze avant-garde films in terms of

the formal and aesthetic solutions used in them

 The student is able to independently analyze avant-garde

films and video art in a broader historical and social context

 The student can use avant-garde films in scientific work, eg

as a source for historical and sociological research

 The student can indicate the differences and similarities

between the language of avant-garde and feature cinema

Methods of assessing the student's work (participation in the

overall assessment of the student's work)

1. Continuous assessment: ongoing preparation for classes

and activity (30/100)

2. Final written test 50/100

The condition for passing the classes out of presence will be

passing the test regarding the presented films and topics

covered during the lectures.

3. Control of the presence of 20/100

A presence on more than half of the classes is required. Two

absences are allowed. In the case of each subsequent absence

the in class participant is required to write a review of the

selected film, on which projection was the participant of the

class (other than selected for final assignments). The review

may be a shorter form of response to the question asked

during the course.

Volume: up to 3000 characters. Deadline for sending: the last

classes in the semester.