Issue 2: Autumn 2008: Spanish Avant-Garde Film
Editorial - What is 'Margenes'?
First, we take sad note of the death of Bruce Conner (November 18, 1933 - July 7, 2008) ...
The autumn 2008 edition of Experimental Conversations focuses on Spanish experimental film. This is in response to Márgenes: Experimento y Praxis, a magnificent mini-festival of contemporary Spanish avant-garde moving image work organized by Esperanza Collado in Dublin last June. This took the form of a number of screenings, installations, live cinema events and public interventions. The main venues were thisisnotashop gallery space and the National Gallery. The three film programmes and three multi-screen installations proved always interesting, often exciting and, in the case of Oriol Sánchez's astounding work, sometimes revelatory. Certainly sufficient proof that remarkable experimental film and video is being created in Spain today, art deserving of international attention.
Albert Alcoz programmed a screening of films during Márgenes on the broad theme of landscape. Another porgramme was devoted to Alcoz's own 8mm films. He kicks this issue off with a concise history of experimental film in Spain that serves to contextualise Márgenes. Two further articles stem directly from this event. Esperanza Collado gives an account of its live cinema and public intervention components and I try to convey something of Oriol Sánchez's rich and brilliant practice. We also reproduce in full the Márgenes programme listings.
The rest of the magazine discusses films by two filmmakers whose names frequently cropped up in conversation during Márgenes. Experimental Conversations is particularly thrilled to publish Experimental Features in Arrebato by Alberte Pagán (whose 2007 video Pó de estrelas screened in Dublin) and Esperanza Collado. Iván Zulueta's cult masterpiece Arrebato (1979), a stylishly febrile, darkly comic and uniquely paranoid take on the risks of personal moviemaking, is a film that simply can't be championed or discussed enough. And, last but not least, Tony McKibbin explores the urban spaces of highly respected director José Luis Guerín's latest feature, In the City of Sylvia (En la Ciudad de Sylvia, 2007).
It should be noted that this is not the first publication to feature Márgenes. It was also the subject of a special issue of Spectrum. Readers unfamiliar with this postcard-sized zine devoted to paracinema and edited by Esperanza Collado would be well advised to track down a few issues. A good place to embark on this quest is: http://www.myspace.com/spectrumcinema
By now, everyone has no doubt noted the repeated appearance of the name ‘Esperanza Collado' in this editorial. Without her crucial assistance, this issue of Experimental Conversations would not have been possible. Neither, of course, would Márgenes have taken place. Thanks, Esperanza!
Before signing off, there are two upcoming events related to Experimental Conversations that I'd like to plug. As part of his eagerly anticipated appearance at the Cork Film Festival, Super8 legend John Porter will be giving a hands-on workshop in Super8 filmmaking at Cork Film Centre on Saturday October 18th (http://www.corkfilmfest.org). And, on November 5th, the Kerry Film Festival is hosting a programme of contemporary Irish experimental film and video selected by Experimental Conversations. To find out more about this event, visit http://www.kerryfilmfestival.com/experimental_conversations.html
-Maximilian Le Cain
Editor