Archive of films Optical Sound / Optical Sound

Austria
2014, 12 min

Section: Imagina
Year: 2014

The film strip contains more than just the recorded image, it also has sound – but this element is naturally hidden during projection, just as the transition point of each reel is masked by the projectionist. A remarkable experimental short that competed this year at the Berlinale.

Synopsis

A film dance can be more than a performance in front of a camera – it can also be a frenetic compilation of the film strip elements that normally remain hidden from the viewer – and, in the digital age, have been completely eliminated. This playful and artistically bold movie demonstrates that even a purely abstract film can be downright entertaining. While the aesthetic experience abides undiminished, also evident is a distinctive trace of the analog era that can convey a visuality closely and wholly linked to the medium of film and the film strip itself.

About the director

Elke Groen (b. 1969, Bad Ischl, Austria) studied architecture and photography in Vienna. In 2005 she founded a production company focused on experimental filmmaking. Her movies, including Tito-Material (1998), have played festivals around the world. Christian Neubacher (b. 1972, Salzburg, Austria) studied photography and film in Vienna, later working in the field as a script editor, critic, and curator. He has shot a number of experimental films, including Starigrad (1997).