Sun 13th 6pm

Places and Locations – Reality Check

Herman - Deborh Phillips

World Premiere: Herman(n) by  Deborah Phillips

Alla Kovgan US New London Calling 10 min 2010

Bill Brown US Chicago Corner 4 min 2010

Christina McPhee US Deep Horizon 7min:32 2010

Deborah Phillips DE Herman(n) 8 min 2011

Ellen Lake USA Seaworthy 3min 10s 2010

Hope Tucker USA Puhelinkoppi (1882-2007) 7min 30s 2010

Marjan Laaper NL At the Mall 1 min 26s 2009/2010

Paul Rascheja DE Spaces 2min12s 2010

Roberto Duarte CL 131 2min 32s 2009

Stephanie Gray US You know they want to disappear Hell’s Kitchen as Clinton 17min 2010

Uwe Doebbeke DE Passagen 8min 2002

curated by Klaus W. Eisenlohr

Alla Kovgan - London Calling

London Calling by Alla Kovgan

More infos on Urban Research www.richfilm.de/DL2011

A preview, links and more stills at richfilm.tumblr.com

Urban Research/ Directors Lounge at
KING KONG Contemporary Art Project,
Ehrenhof des Mannheimer Barockschlosses

Sound Pattern #1 Violence in the City
12-29 November 2010

Opening reception 12 November 19:30

Mannheim Barock Castle

Three guest curators, Klaus W. Eisenlohr (Berlin), Hans W. Koch (Köln) und Thomas Lühr Frankfurt/M.) present video and sound works.

Barock Castle Catacombes: Tom Skipp’s 3-channel work Stormwater, which explores Europe’s biggest stormwater reservoir before the flood

Container 1: Urban Research Screening and Installation
"urban interference and the city’s symbols"

The success of modern cities is connected with relative security and trust in the social contract between citizens. As Jan Philippe Reemtsma states: “If I happen to drop into a violent situation, I will neither be made responsible for not being armed, nor for having failed to defend myself.” (memory-quoted). Although this unwritten contract is part of the production of modernity, urban myths and symbols often tell about violent situations. Therefore, films about urban symbols often deal with the uncanny. They thus touch the precarious balance between the violence of law enforcement and undisclosed threats of decay.

On the other hand, with urban interventions, artists try to play a more active role in society . Some artists see themselves as “political activist” and try to change politics and society; others just try to reach a different, more divers audience; or, they like to reach out for a seemingly impossible dream. All of them, however, share visions and ideas about urban life. And those inspirations may be infectious!

Videos:
   

•    Seven After Eleven, 2008 -*- Christina McPhee US
    •    Play Ground, 2009 -*- Rinat Edelstein IL
    •    Descend, 2009 -*- Pablo Useros ES
    •    Fragments of the Los Angeles River, 2009 -*- Richard O’Sullivan UK
    •    Elsewhereness: Yokohama, 2008 -*- Anders Weberg + Robert Willim SW
    •    Sintia, -*- Jose Matiella +Ivan Meza MX
    •    Buda, 2009 -*- Beatriz + Carlos Matiella MX
    •    Easy Rider, 2006 -*- Pilvi Takala FI
    •    Jalkeilla Taas (Up And About Again), 2009 -*- Maarit Suomi-Väänänen FI
    •    Amusement Park, 2001 -*- Pilvi Takala FI
    •    Drive, 2008 -*- Elham Rokni IL
    •    Simulacro, 2005 -*- Hector Falcon MX
    •    Moel Yad, 2009 -*- Hadas Tapouchi IL
    •    Night Meter, 2000-*-Yaron Lapid UK
    •    Interception 2007-2009 -*- Roch Forowicz PL
    •    Stormwater / Estanque de tormentas-*- Tom Skipp ES
curated by Klaus W. Eisenlohr (Directors’ Lounge Berlin)

Links:

KIng Kong
http://www.kingkong-contemporary.de/?p=539
Klaus W. Eisenlohr
http://www.richfilm.de/DL2010/framesIndex.html

Neue Bewirtschaftung, Magistrale 2010.
(New Management)
Screening in public pubs and at gallery Suomesta on Potsdamer Str.:
October 8 starting at 6pm
October 9 starting at 2pm
October 10 discussion at 2pm

Organized by gallery Suomesta and Neues Museum, this event is including many Directors Lounge artists and associates. The artists and their films will occupy screens in public pubs usually set up for watching soccer games along Potsdamer Str, Berlin

Participating artists:
Thorsten Fleisch, Veli Granö, Jari Haanperä, Marikki Hakola, Aline Helmcke, Pekka Kantonen, Cinema Mobile, Horace Ové, Antti Pussinen, Seppo Renvall, Pekka Sassi, Ira Schneider, PINK TWINS, Roi Vaara and Klaus W. Eisenlohr with a selection of his Urban Research programme.
On Oct. 10 there will be a discussion panel on the question of “places for short independent film today?”
Program and more detailed infos on http://magistrale2010.wordpress.com/

Urban Research Selection 2010
Screening at
PAm Festival in Senigallia, Italy
08 July 2010, at 20:00

GALLERIA GHERARDI 30
Via Gherardi 30 – Senigallia

urban research selection | urban interference and the city’s symbols

The success of modern cities as social entities is connected with the liability of relative security and trust in the social contract between citizens. As Jan Philippe Reemtsma states: “If I happen to drop into a violent situation, I will neither be made responsible for not being armed, nor for having failed to defend myself.” (memory-quoted). Although this unwritten contract is part of the production of modernity, urban identity, myths and symbols often tell about violent situations. Therefore, films talking about urban symbols often deal with the uncanny, with the precarious balance between the violence of law enforcement and violent social decay.

On the other hand, with urban interventions, artists try to play a more active role in society . Some artists see themselves as “political activist” and try to change politics and society; others just try to reach a different, more divers audience; or, they like to reach out for a seemingly impossible dream. All of them, however, share visions and ideas about urban life. And those inspirations may be infectious!
Curated by Klaus W. Eisenlohr

Program:

Elsewhereness: Yokohama 2008 -*- Anders Weberg SW
Zwischenzeit 2008 -*- Mischa Leinkauf + Mathias Wermke DE
Seven After Eleven 2008 -*- Christina McPhee US
Buda -*- Beatriz + Carlos Matiella MX
Sintia -*- Jose Matiella+Ivan Meza MX
Amusement Park 2001 -*- Pilvi Takala FI
Jalkeilla Taas (Up And About Again) 2009 -*- Maarit Suomi-Väänänen FI
Drive 2003 -*- Elena Näsänen FI
Drive! 2008 -*- Elham Rokni IL
Easy Rider2006 -*- Pilvi Takala FI
Simulacro 2005 -*- Hector Falcon MX
Play Ground 2009 -*- Rinat Edelstein IL
Night Meter 2000 -*- Yaron Lapid UK
Interception 2007-2009 -*- Roch Forowicz PL
Stormwater / Estanque de tormentas 2009 -*- Tom Skipp ES

Festival Program: http://www.pamfestival.com/programma/
Direct Link:
http://www.pamfestival.com/videoproiezione-di-klaus-w-eisenlohr/

Urban Research 2010: http://www.richfilm.de/DL2010/framesUrbanResearch.html

Above: still from AlexandLiane’s video for “Shoes” by the band Tiga

Monday February 15, Museek No 3 programme

It has been years since MTV more or less stopped playing music videos and cut to the chase to sell pure image, nevertheless it is entirely possible that these are the very same years in which the field may have opened up a bit to new talent which have gone on to produce some of the most creative new work since the dawn of the medium.

Regardless of budget or country, the majority of the music videos featured in MUSEEK No. 3 were essentially able to take a clever idea and run with it to great sucess.

The videos seem to successfully embrace the excitement of human life in this day and age, and in most cases one can’t help but taken aback by their inventiveness.

Although I could easily write about nearly every video in the programme I chose a few to review:

“Evident Utensil” by Ray Tintori for the band Chairlift has utilized a technique I’ve not yet seen, namely: you know when an online video breaks up into a sort of Predator-like digi-garble while it is beginning to play? Of when a DVD is scratched? Tintori’s video is basically constantly morphing with that effect under control. I am so glad someone did this.

The Royksopp video “Happy Up Here” basically makes the oldschool arcade game Space Invaders attack a real city (Berlin?) on the special-effects level as good as any Hollywood Blockbuster –terribly entertaining, especially if you are familiar with the game itself.

Jeff Desom video for Hauschka’s song Morgenrot which just shows a burnig piano falling off a skyscraper, was positively captivating. Daniel Eskils on the other hand simply used an overhead projector and dry-ease markers for the band.

Pop culture may have left Lenny Kravitz and his coolness to chill back in the 90s where they more or less belong, but a simple remix by house superstars Justice plus a surprising video with a clever idea behind it somehow turns his radio pop into something fresh and relevant.

Not much point in describing Jonas Meier’s video “One Up Down Left Right” for the band Rusconi but it should be watched.

AlexandLiane’s video for “Shoes” by the band Tiga integrates retro fashion with what appears to be an early-70s-looking television talkshow-type programme to weave a goofily surreal piece.

The Presets “If I know You” is basically a group of young Billy Elliott-esque teenagers dancing across Los Angeles – so damn charming.

Ethan Lader’s video for Rob Roy’s “Fur in My Cap” is essentially a tongue-in-cheek Hip-hop song, but what sets it apart is the theme essentially being: The means and lifestyle are within the context of 14-15 year olds in a neighbourhood which contradict the bling-and-ho lyrics… which, with a bit of clever camera work and effects, makes it just damn entertaining.

The Justice video “Stress” in which a young gang out violently causing trouble everywhere they go in Paris really begged the question: is it just a bunch of punk kids or rather a disturbing social commentary on France’s racial turmoil…?

Metronomy’s  “A thing for me” was -wow- a sing along with the sing along bouncy-ball comes to life bouncing wildy bopping people on the head!

-Paul J. Thomas

Gestern Abend wurde der erste Block Tomorrow, Night and Day des von Klaus W. Eisenlohrs kuratierten Urban Research Program innerhalb der Directors Lounge präsentiert. Die Auswahl zeigte Arbeiten von internationalen Künstlern, die sich in diesem Block in Form von experimentellen, animierten als auch fiktiven Formaten der Auseinandersetzung mit dem urbanen, öffentlichen Raum widmen.

Das Video von Anders Weberg Elsewhereness:Yokohama (2008) aus der gleichnamigen Reihe, befasste sich mit urbaner Entfremdung, was sich ganz offensichtlich in der Form des präsentierten Videos widerspiegelt. So sieht man in der 7 Minuten langen Arbeit übereinandergelegte, abstrahierte Aufnahmen der Stadt Yokohama. Die mit starkem Kontrast verfremdeten Bilder werden von einer elektronischen, sphärischen Musikkomposition begleitet, was der Arbeit eine hypnotische Qualität verleiht. Das Thema der Entfremdung wird konzeptuell von der Abwesenheit des Künstlers verstärkt, wenn man bedenkt, dass das Rohmaterial der verfremdeten Bilder aus dem Internet recherchiert worden ist und sich der Künstler nie in Yokohama aufgehalten hat. Die manipulierten Aufnahmen werden dadurch zu einer surrealen Reise durch eine entfremdete Landschaft, die auf der Grundlage der kulturellen Vorannahmen und Stereotypen des Künstlers über den Ort basiert. Der Ort bleibt hierbei belanglos, da das Fremde überall zu finden ist. Die einzigen Anzeichen, dass man sich in einer asiatischen Großstadt wiederfindet, sind japanische Schriftzeichen. Die gezeigte Arbeit von Weberg geht von einer anonymen, mechanisierten Zivilisation aus, die mit Hilfe digitaler Medien aus der Distanz erkundet wird. Entfremdung und Abwesenheit werden dabei als Mittel verwendet um die Wahrnehmung des Fremden, dass hier nicht verstanden werden kann und will, erfahrbar zu machen.

Von Martin Tscholl


Zur Eröffnung der diesjährigen Directors Lounge wurde gestern Abend ein Querschnitt des Programms der nächsten zehn Tage präsentiert. In der alten Brauerei Pfefferwerk im Prenzlauer Berg startete die Directors Lounge zum 6. Mal, parallel zur 60. Berlinale. Unterteilt in drei Blöcke, wurde eine Vorauswahl der kommenden Tage präsentiert. Neben den gezeigten Film- und Videoarbeiten, konnte man in den Nebenbereichen der angenehm gestalteten Lounge verschiedene Videoinstallationen betrachten.

Der von Klaus W. Eisenlohr kuratierte Block des Urban Research Program gab einen Vorgeschmack auf die kommenden Tage: Neun Filme und Videos wurden in diesem Block gezeigt, die vor allem die subjektive Erfahrung und Erkundung des großstädtischen Raumes zum Thema haben. In diesem Programmblock, der sich durch eine gesunde Kombination aus dokumentarischen und experimentellen Formaten auszeichnete, beeindruckte vor allem die Arbeit von Pablo Useros „Decent“ aus der Reihe Found People Movements: In dieser Arbeit werden Passanten einer Treppe im öffentlichen Raum gefilmt. Der Filmer nimmt hierbei eine observierende Position ein und zeigt Menschen, die in einer durch Blütenregen mystisch anmutenden Szenerie eine breite Treppe hinuntergehen. Die an das Innenleben einer Schneekugel erinnernde Situation verstärkt den mystischen Charakter des in Zeitlupe laufenden Videos. Das in vertikaler Ausrichtung präsentierte 16:9 Format, erinnert durch diese Anordnung an die Malerei der Renaissance. Dieser Eindruck wird durch die auditive Dimension verstärkt. So hört man zu den Bildern der herabsteigenden Menschen eine Arie, die den filmischen Ausdruck bekräftigt. Durch die vertikale Ausrichtung des Formats gerät der Mensch in seiner Ganzheit in den Fokus des Bildes, wird ins Zentrum der filmischen Reflexion gebracht. Das nebensächliche, scheinbar belanglose Hinuntersteigen der Treppe gerät in einen Moment, der den urbanen Alltag aus einer ästhetischen Perspektive wiedergibt.

Die Arbeit „This is a Political Film“ von Pablo Useros aus der Reihe Found People Movements ist am Freitag, den 19.02., in dem Block Urban Interference um 18 Uhr in der Directors Lounge zu sehen.

von Martin Tscholl

Elle Burchill, F.Y.S.

Richard O’Sullivan, Fragments of the Los Angeles River

The Urban Research Loop Program is shown on different screens and different days, each. On request, it is also possible to set certain films up on screen.

part 1:

Anna Staffel DE Documenta 12 13min 23sec 2009

Ashley Pigford US Providence 3min 04sec 2007

Chris Henschke AU Walls of Berlin 1min 00sec 2010

Christina McPhee US Tesserae-Yellow Tahiti Substation Foods 4 Less 3min 48sec 2009

Elham Rokni IL Drive! 1min 32sec 2008

Elle Burchill US F.Y.S. 7min 36sec 2007

Ivar Smedstad NO mekanisk<->organisk 5min 06sec 2009

Katerie Gladdys US Stroller Flaneur 4min 00sec 2009

Konstantinos-Antonios Goutos DE after caspar david friedrich  8min 14sec 2007

Marina Chernikova NL Urban Surfing  03min 10sec 2007

Pablo Useros ES Found People Movements – Descend, 5 Nov Plaza Castilla, The Human Race 11min 00sec 2009

Pablo Useros ES Found People Movements –The Human Race 11min 00sec 2009

Pablo Useros ES Found People Movements –5 Nov Plaza Castilla 11min 00sec 2009

Paul Clipson US CHORUS 7min 00sec 2009

Pierre Yves Clouin Fr Crossing 1min 13sec 2008

Rinat Edelstein IL long distances 13min 38sec 2007

Sari Carel US Olive Glove 8min 10sec 2009

Wilfried Agricola de Cologne DE Radio Flyer 5min 20sec 2009

Wilfried Agricola de Cologne DE Urban.early sunday morning_raw 4min 30sec 2007

part 2:

Adam Kossoff UK Not Our Darkness 25min 05sec 2009

Arne Bunk DE bühne:wolfsburg 15min 00sec 2009

Felix Lenz DE “What is a Minute, Lumère?” 48min 00sec 2009

Lothar Schuster DE Fensterblicke 30min 00sec 2009

Michael Schuwerk US Happiness is the Right Choice 13min 51sec 2009

Richard O’Sullivan  UK Fragments of the Los Angeles River 46min 00sec 2009

Simon Tarr US Giri Chit 14min 21sec 2009

David Gunn / Guillermo Brown UK Open Cities / Porto (excerpt) 06min 00sec 2009

For more information and videostills about the Urban Research Loop Program
click here!

Thurs 18th 6:00 pm

The success of modern cities as social entities is connected with the liability of relative security and trust in the social contract between citizens. As Jan Philippe Reemtsma states: “If I happen to drop into a violent situation, I will neither be made responsible for not being armed, nor for not being able to defend myself.” (memory-quoted). Although this unwritten contract is part of the production of modernity, urban identity, myths and symbols often tell about violent situations. The films in this program trace the uncanny in contemporary settings, they show hidden and small stories, which may remind us about how delicate that construction is, a balance between the opposite dangers of enforced order and violent social decay. Does it wonder that the selection presents films from Israel, the United States and one about Berlin?

Hadas Tapouchi IL Moel Yad 6min 00sec 2009

Keren Zaltz IL Mall 5min 55sec 2008

Elham Rokni IL Drive! 1min 32sec 2008

Kevin Jerome Everson US Ike 02min 25sec 2008

Esther Podemski and Chuck Schultz US 5 Days in July 10min 00sec 2008

Dominic Angerame US Premonition 23min 00sec 1997

Kevin Jerome Everson US Second and Lee 02min 47sec 2008

Sergio De La Torre US Nuevo Dragon City 14min 00sec 2008

Charles Chadwick US Genetic Reclamation Area 05min 48sec 2008

Christina McPhee US Seven After Eleven 07min sec 2008

Rinat Edelstein IL Play Ground 06min 58sec 2009

Christina McPhee Seven After Eleven

For more information on the Urban Research program
Link click here: www.richfilm.de

The Warm-Up Show

We start into the year with a first night at our new location, the meinblau arthouse at the Pfefferberg. Expect teasing tidbits from the forthcoming 6th Berlin International Directors Lounge. An oeuvre surprise from all flavours, mouth-watering movies that will make you ask for more.

Ausgewählte Leckerbissen, ein kleiner Vorgeschmack auf die Lounge während der Berlinale. Erstmals im meinblau Pfefferberg.

Thursday/Do. 21. Jan meinblau Berlin Mitte, Christinenstraße 18

doors open at 8pm/Einlass ab 20h
program starts around 9pm/ Filme ab ca 21h

still from Toe Jam by Keith Schofield/The BPA