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.

Since she began her artistic career in the mid-2000, Jodie Mack has proved herself one of the most brilliant filmmakers of our times. Her unique, visionary way of working frame by frame is only matched by her endless creativity and her extensive knowledge of experimental animation. Mack explores collage as a medium of expression, using it to experiment with the artistic potential of fabric in abstract animations where colors and patterns are brought to the front. But her films go beyond formal experimentation and technical proficiency –they offer an insightful account of the history of abstract art, popular culture, and their political implications. Her modus operandi finds a climax in her explosive The Grand Bizarre –another piece in the jigsaw of her incredible filmography–, in which she reflects upon the waste material of our consumerist society via an exquisite treatment of light, shape, textures, editing… and a masterful use of rhythm, music, and sound. All of this will be explored in depth in this episode of Camera Obscura, during which we will share with you some of Mack’s pieces.