From 1972 to 1981, Robert Gardner conducted a Boston television series that became a reference and a cult show for the experimental cinema community: Screening Room. The program, which welcomed some of the most relevant avant-garde filmmakers of that time, offered not only in-depth interviews with the guests, but also the opportunity to discover their work. Today, Screening Room remains a source of inspiration. Gardner’s legacy, in combination with the spirit of the times and the possibilities brought to us by technological advancement and the internet encouraged us to develop a show that will be broadcast on streaming. Camera Obscura, which also follows the steps of Janine Bazan and André S. Labarthe’s Cinéastes de notre temps, is a creative endeavor –an interpretation of Gardner’s show with a bold aesthetic and in an innovative format in tune with our times. The show, which will bring to the audience an in-detail presentation of the creative processes of a selection of filmmakers, is also an invitation to discover their work, as it will feature chosen excerpts of their creations. The name Camera Obscura is a reference to the optical device that inspired painters and anticipated cinema centuries before its creation –a box-like, unlit construction where a ray of light coming from the outside projects, through a small hole in one of its walls, a moving image that is seen on the surface opposite to the opening. (S8) aims to be that ray of light, travelling from wave to wave on its way to project its images on the wall of any room in the world.

David Domingo (Valencia, 1973) is a dear old friend of (S8) since the very first edition of the festival, when our programmers curated a solo section of his work. Domingo, aka Stanley Sunday, has been key in the revitalization and renewal of underground Spanish cinema. His films, which take over from Zulueta –a pioneer of analog filmmaking and super 8, a medium that he used in a “sweaty” way– and his legacy, present a unique imagery that brings together pop references, all kinds of visual experiments, animations (from stop motion sequences to his recent 3D creations), domestic epic, homoerotic allusions, loads of humor, and a bright, colorful spirit. This episode of Camera Obscura will offer an overview of his career, from his first pieces, created in the late 90s, to his more recent explorations with music videos. Our conversation with Domingo –during which we discuss sausages and Farrah Fawcett– will be alternated with some of his pieces: a full immersion into the world of this unique artist.