The film will be introduced by guestspeaker Julian Ross, a researcher, curator and writer based in Amsterdam. He has been a film programmer at film festivals such as Doc Fortnight 2023 at The Museum of Modern Art, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Locarno Film Festival and Singapore International Film Festival. He is Assistant Professor at Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS).
Birth of a Nation is the third instalment of the thematic month showcasing the best works of director Jonas Mekas. Mekas leads an archival avant-garde, a fast-paced parade of 160 underground film people he captured on film over four decades. Screened on 16mm!
One hundred and sixty appearances by avant-garde filmmakers and film activists from 1955 to 1996 make up this film with music by Wagner and Hermann Nitsch and vocals by Jean Houston.
“Why Birth of a Nation? Because the independents of cinema is a nation in itself. We are surrounded by a commercial cinema Nation same way as the indigenous people of United States or any other country are surrounded by the Ruling Powers. We are the invisible, but essential nation of cinema. We are Cinema.” – Jonas Mekas.
