Module 8

 Marlon Riggs

I concur with Ashley’s statement that Riggs is a provocative filmmaker that encourages the audience to go through a wide range of emotions. The clip she showed from Tongues Untied is indicative of that. His storytelling approach pulls you in to empathize, but then the shocking statements of the different “mouths” repulses you. Just when you’re spinning, it becomes rhythmic and addictive. The subject matter is so fragile, and yet he’s in your face with it, so his quote stating, “They can't touch me" resonates strongly and loudly, and we get a sense of his struggles as “came through the fire.” By putting the offensive words and concepts in our face, he is able to shed light on them in (I believe) an impactful way).

Sky Hopinka

I just love his idea that he “Rejects the idea that history is confined to the past.” That makes sense even though I’ve never heard it phrased like that. Humans (both the species in general and individuals) are just an accumulation of everything that has ever happened to them. We have the physical genetics of our ancestors and very often have the learned/behavioral traits or inherited the emotional trauma from them too. We’ve evolved to adapt (again, either as a species or individually), but traces of our former selves are still there in some capacity. No doubt, his spirituality as a Native American has played a part in his belief.

Harry Smith

Smith seems like a talented filmmaker, but it’s clear that he was also interested in an exploration of music and rhythm. I’m reminded of the term “visual music” from my boy Viking. I can understand the segue, like most absolute filmmakers, from painting to film, using music as another medium to create their art. It’s art in motion, so to speak, and uses more of the senses. Also, very cool that he was such a big collector of music, especially folk music. What I found interesting though, was when I read that he collected many types of things, including “instructions for string figures, which track the manipulation of an ordinary piece of string into an elaborate handwoven design.” 

Tarik Barri

Another shout out to visual music! Barri’s invention that distorts visual input in real time reminds me of how Jodie Mack considered herself a time choreographer, making those visuals “dance” in time to the music. I’m curious which interest he had first, art or computer programming, and furthermore, did his knowledge of and passion for programming inspire him to be an artist or the other way around? Also interesting how he refers to himself as an a/v artist, which really is what most (all?) filmmakers are. Obviously, a certain amount of tech skills are required for filmmaking, but he seems to take it to the next level. Love “Atoms for Peace”... the technofunk music also reminds me of Jodie!