Microcinemas and Reflections

I LOVED the presentation on Marlon Riggs, especially because I am a huge fan of his work in general. It makes me very happy to see Riggs acknowledged, especially because of his background. Black people who are from the LGBT community are usually ignored when it comes to history or art or society in general. His work is poetic and it makes me feel like I am immersed in his world completely whenever I view a movie. I want to create art that carries as much emotion as he does, and work that seems to breathe every second that the film goes on. We need more art that carries the amount of power and tenderness that he had, and it is a shame that the world lost him at such a young age.

Su Friedrich was an alright filmmaker. She is the first filmmaker we saw in class that I wasn't too big of a fan of. I felt like she could've done more with her films, either add audio that made them more poetic, and a lot of her images I felt like have been seen before. I like the idea of reflexivity in film though, and would love to borrow some of the ideas behind her films in my own works. I like how she referenced her own life in her films but kept her personal life private. That enigmatic approach seems like the type of thing a lot of LGBT filmmakers have, especially pre-2000's because of discrimination. It's a good model for life in general too.

This week I presented on Jen Proctor who I loved. I think Proctor has a great idea in her approach to cinema - subverting tropes through the use of the medium itself. I think that method of critique is genius, as what other method will effectively point out flaws some films have with their portrayals? Her idea about exposing the way Hollywood exploits female vulnerability in bathroom scenes really struck me, and I admit that I based my self portrait off of the idea. When I thought about it, the bathroom is where I am very vulnerable and spend a lot of time meditating on my own thoughts. I also feel cornered in the bathroom at times, especially when my roommate is waiting outside the door.

In terms of the reading for this week, the idea of a microcinema makes me happy. It reminded me of the cine-club that Palmer started (which is supposed to be a secret oops), where niche films are screened every week. I also have a friend who I suppose runs what you would consider a microcinema of sorts. He arranges screenings every week in his basement and exclusively plays small independent films that he finds through networking and searching the internet. We discuss the films too and look forward to whatever gem he offers up for the next week.