J.X. WILLIAMS Les dossiers interdits

Noel Lawrence, head of The J.X. Williams Archive, who had some stunning shows at the 5th Berlin International Directors Lounge   published his first book, “J.X. Williams: Les Dossiers Interdits,"in France very recently.

Along with providing the first comprehensive analysis of J.X. Williams’ life and work in cinema, the book contains revelations on Sammy Davis Jr., Roy Cohn, Sam Giancana, and many other legendary figures of the American underworld and counterculture.

Without J.X. Williams, the face of contemporary cinema would not be the same. His shadowy influence turns up in Tarantino, Scorsese, Kubrick, and even Godard again and again like a bad penny. Despite the best efforts of Hollywood to keep its most notorious skeleton buried deep in the closet, Williams is back with a bang!

Aided and abetted by cultural impresario Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe as well as a crack team of cinephiles and cineastes. Noel Lawrence reconstructs the story of J.X. in lurid detail. Besides documenting the first on-the-record statements from Williams in over 25 years, the book contains fascinating revelations on Sammy Davis Jr., Roy Cohn, Sam Giancana, and other notable figures of the American underworld and counterculture.

Contributors include Jean-Pierre Dionnet (comic book legend and co-founder of Heavy Metal), Josh Olson (screenwriter, "A History of Violence”), Richard Gaitet (editor-in-chief, Standard), Jesse Nathan (editor, McSweeney’s), Pierre Mikailoff (author, “Some Cliches”) and many more!

Commentary and acclaim for J.X. Williams…

“A spiritual vortex of sub rosa Americana.”

– Paul Cullum, The New York Times

“Underground movies cannot dig much deeper than those of J.X. Williams.”

– Steve Dollar, The Wall Street Journal

“A musician friend once observed that the most intriguing artists don’t just create individual pieces; they’re iconic figures who project a philosophy or personality, a life force that becomes a conceptual umbrella covering everything they make. J.X. Williams, a cult filmmaker, conspiracy theorist, enemy of the Mafia and the FBI, and all-around outlaw visionary, is that sort of figure.”

– Matt Zoller Seitz, Salon.com

“A fascinating book to understand the dark side of the entertainment industry. The true face of the American dream finally revealed!”

– Camion Noir
While this book is in French-language only, German and U.S. editions should be soon to folllow.

Sans J.X. Williams, le visage du cinéma contemporain aurait été différent. Quentin Tarantino, Scorcese, Kenneth Anger et même Godard lui doivent beaucoup. Pendant des décennies, l’œuvre du sulfureux J.X. Williams à été occultée. F.B.I, C.I.A, mafia, loges occultes et gros poissons d’Hollywood ne souhaitaient pas que J.X. Williams remonte à la surface. Trop tard, Noel Lawrence, Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe assistés d’auteurs talentueux (Jean-Pierre Dionnet, Elisabeth Barillé, Jean Mareska, Richard Gaitet, Pierre Mikaïloff, Jean-Yves Guilleux, Bernard Bacos , Saladin Sane, Alain Thierry et Xavier Sanjuan) lèvent enfin un coin du voile. Un ouvrage fascinant pour comprendre la face cachée de l’industrie du divertissement. Le vrai visage de l’american dream enfin révélé !

CAMION NOIR : L’éditeur qui véhicule le soufre !

2.-4. July at the Zollverein world heritage site

contemporary art ruhr (C.A.R.) is an innovative and dynamic fair format. It has established two art fairs annually since 2006.With a media art fair in the summer and innovative art productions out of the ordinary: video and media art, installations, performances, environmental sculptures, multimedia projects and especially the field of contemporary photograpy. In autumn with an art fair for contemporary art – C.A.R. covers the entire spectrum of fine arts and their most important current influences.

pictured: Andre Werner, The Dream Of The Japanese Beauty,  shown as part of the opening of the c.a.r. 09, the contemporary art Ruhr Foto: Matthias Duschner/Stiftung Zollverein

an after art night with Directors Lounge and Walden Kunstausstellungen

On the occasion of the opening weekend of the 6th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art. Join us for a summer night with barbecue and fine drinks at the DL Base, F´hain. The best way to meet the team if you are in town and to chill out after a billion openings.

Petersburger Platz 2, Berlin-Friedrichshain
U 5 Frankfurter Tor M 10 Strassmannstr

doors open 9pm

pictured: The Japanese Guerilla Paparazzi at the 6th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art

a programme of artists moving image curated by Kerry Baldry

This touring programme is the forth in the series, an eclectic range of moving image with formats such as 16mm film, Super 8, video, stopframe animation, superimposition, all constrained by a time limit of one minute.

One Minute Volume 4

Pretty Flamingo by Katharine Meynell

RS-A 4 by Jonathan Moss

Ginnungagap Muspelheim by Eva Rudlinger (silent)

One Minute in Pisa by Chris Meigh Andrews

Dinosaur by Martin Pickles

Cloud Mime by Gordon Dawson (silent)

No Visible Means of Support by Sam Renseiw and Philip Sanderson

100 Heads by Tony Hill

‘it’s art’ (my grand dad is a conceptual artist) by Laure Prouvost (silent)

Twenty Foot Square by Stuart Moore and Kayla Parker

Untitled by Kerry Baldry

The Man Who Came Back by Alex Pearl (silent)

Inanimatismus by Steven Ball

White Wall by Anahita Razmi

Holding The Viewer by Tony Hill

Snowflake by Kate Jessop

Tell me when you think one minute is up from by Bob Levene

Half Life by Erica Scourti (silent)

Little Skipper by Elizabeth Hobbs

Untitled by Stuart Pound

Greenwich Power Station by Liam Wells

X by Claire Morales

Zapruder Objective 1 by Michael Cousin

Film Poem 1 ‘Storm’ by Tina Keane

Turn of the Century by Virginia Hilyard

Dark Matter by Gordon Dawson (Silent)

Recess by Riccardo Iacono

Loves me/loves me not by Fil Ieropoulos

Time Travel by Sam Renseiw and Philip Sanderson

Antarctica Silence by Marty St. James (silent)

Scaped (1) by James Snazell

The lost and crumpled will by Stuart Pound

Night Piano by Richard Tuohy

Colour Bars by Simon Payne (silent)

Like using a … by Tansy Spinks

Piecing by Louisa Minkin (silent)

Twitter by Leister/Harris

1961 Revisted by Nicki Rolls (silent)

Patronizing ideas, Lessons and Afternoon Games: Bar Delay by Zhel Vukicevic

Live Painting – Red Hill by Nick Herbert

Stargazers by Alex Pearl

Code by Stuart Pound

One Minute biennale di venezia 2009 by Daniela Butsch (silent)

Blossom by Michael Szpakowski

Restraint by David Kefford

Passing Shots by Cate Elwes


Fri June 4th, Meinblau, Pfefferberg

doors open at 8pm, screening starts at 9pm

please be on time

still from Turn of the Century by Virginia Hilyard

Abgesang, kupferfarben by Claudia Guilino

to be screened at the German Pavilion at EXPO 2010 Shanghai

Abgesang, kupferfarben, screened in world premiere at the opening of  The 6th Berlin International Directors Lounge has been selected for “Cityscapes”,  compiled by interfilm Berlin. A comprehensive program of short films that will be shown on the screen of balancity. Besides insights in German culture and history these films mirror Germany’s lively short-film scene.

Date:05/01/10 – 10/31/10 Time:evenings Place:on EXPO ground

compliments, well deserved.

Here´s giving you a sneak peek into our May screening, Fri 7th at the Meinblau.

Friends & Lovers, curated by Alexei Dmitriev and Andre Werner is a shameless biased selection of personal favorites. “There is a bunch of folks who’s films we find great and whom we then met in person and found them great too. It’s a gang. It’s a family. That’s what "Friends & Lovers” are about.“ A. D.

Featuring Usama Alshaibi, Thorsten Fleisch, Masha Godovannaya, Jean-Gabriel Periot, Keith Sanborn and Zhen Chen Liu, just to name a few.

The screening will be followed by an audiovisual concert of Bedroom Bear.

Bedroom Bear — a solo project of Sergei Dmitriev  — dreamy and thoughtful
new new age made with only hardware devices from Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Combining psych folk aesthetics with melodious lo-fi, he recreates the
scent of Karelian forests.

Fri May 7th, Meinblau, Pfefferberg

doors open at 8pm, screening starts at 9pm

please be on time

p.s. Don´t miss tomorrow´s show (Thurs, 29th April )  Yaron Lapid “Times of Change” DL base

 

Our friends at Dotfest just posted an Interview with Thorsten Fleisch,

winner of the BEST EXPERIMENTAL award with  “Energy!”

Could you please introduce yourself?

I’m thorsten fleisch and I’ve been making experimental films for more than a decade now. currently I’m coproducing a feature film by phillip duncan that we hope to finish this year and I’m also playing in a band called malende. energie! has been my most successful film so far. it was shown at more than 150 festivals worldwide and even got me a few jobs in the industry. 

What do you believe has most shaped you as an artist?

having zero budget to work with but then having this convulsive urge to do films anyway. also I am always curious about things and this often directs me to potentially interesting themes for a film.

What according to you is the difference between ordinary festivals and online festivals?

on the practical front, I don’t have to send a physical medium like a dvd with the film. I can just upload it. apart from that I don’t have to get up to the stage and explain my film to the audience which is great. it can be funny though, depends on the mood I’m in. I think the biggest weakness for online screenings is that people can and will just skip through the film. I admit I do it. I like the theater situation where you’re forced to watch the whole program.

Please share with us your impressions about DotFest Festival Programme.

a mixed bag to be honest. I actually wanted to watch all the films but after watching a few I was discouraged to go on. I liked some of the winning films though like ‘the attack of the robots from nebula-5’ and ‘the last defeat’. I was pleasantly surprised by the professional organization and the picking of the members for the jury. also I think there was quiet some variety of themes and styles which I liked. 

What were your expectations for participating in the DotFest?

I wasn’t expecting much. there have been other online festivals I’ve participated and usually I didn’t find them that interesting or well done but with dotfest the presentation of the individual films as well as of the event itself was actually very nice and engaging.

Your closing message to DotFest audience.

no censorship!

Interview with Thorsten Fleisch | Dotfest

Thorsten Fleisch is among the artists of our forthcoming May screening Friends & Lovers, curated and presented by Alexei Dmitriev, May 7th, Meinblau, Pfefferberg