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Special Screening

The Potted Psaim

Sidney PETERSON / James BROUGHTON

USA1946 25min 16mm B&W

Synopsis

The viewer feels as if he/she has witnessed a nightmare instead of a film. The film was made in the surrealist tradition. This subconscious dream is comprised of a series of unrelated events, and thus perplexes the viewer. It is hard to "tell" what the film is about, as the Psalm is made up of different poems. But each viewer will find something different in it, bringing his/her own experiences to the film. And here at the images: A tombstone incribed Mother, 6 headless men and women in a single room, a walnut about to crack, sliced bread, a half-intact doll, a doll peeping out from a giant dloo's vagina, a five-sided mirror, and an abstraction using an anamorphic lens. Even though it is hard to pinpoint what the images are, every viewer will have a distinct reaction to the film. (PARK Dong-hyun)

Diretor

Sidney PETERSON

Born in 1905 and was originally a sculptor. He made his first film, The Potted Psalms, in 1946. This was followed by Mr. Frenhofer and the Minotaur (1949), Lead Shoes (1949) and more experimental short films.

James BROUGHTON

Born in California in 1913 and was known as the ‘Father of West Coast Independent Cinema’. He was also a poet and playwright whose works concentrated on desire, pleasure and the body. Until his death in 1999, he had directed about 10 poetic films.