CINEMA PROJECT presents TWO WORKS BY CHRIS MARKER

The Sixth Side of the Pentagon (image courtesy of Icarus Films)

Just three months after his passing, Cinema Project has arranged for a special screening of two of Chris Marker's (La Jetée, Grin Without a Cat) lesser seen works.  Made during the time during which he was engaged in political collective filmmaking with SLON, The Sixth Side of the Pentagon documents the October '67 march on the Pentagon by anti-war activists.  Marker provides his usual sometimes acerbic, sometimes playful commentary over images of Vietnam protesters gathering and then clashing with government forces outside the world's largest symbol of military power.

The Sixth Side of the Pentagon (image courtesy of Icarus Films)

A bientôt j'espère (Be Seeing You) captures a 1967 workers strike at a textile factory in Besançon, France.  The film offers a view of what is essentially a precursor to the larger protests of May 1968, as the factory workers incorporated non-economic demands into their action.  A bientôt j'espère is the rarer of the two works being shown this week; trust me, even the internet can't help you see this one with English subtitles (CP's screening of the film, however, will be subtitled in English).

A bientôt j’espère (image courtesy of Icarus Films)

Here's what the good folks at Cinema Project have to say about this Tuesday and Wednesday night's showcase:

Pioneer of the essay film, photographer, artist, and cat lover, Chris Marker will be missed. From 1967 to 1976, Marker was a member of the film cooperative SLON (Société pour le Lancement des Oeuvres Nouvelles / Society for the Production of New Works), which was dedicated to activist film production, based on the idea that cinema should not be thought of solely in terms of commerce. 

To inspire new activist filmmaking and to pay tribute to this prolific and influential figure, we bring two SLON produced works. A bientôt j’espère depicts workers at a textile factory on strike in pre-May 1968 France and The Sixth Side of the Pentagon chronicles the 1967 Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam protest march on the Pentagon.

Cinema Project presents Two Works by Chris Marker on Tuesday, October 23rd and Wednesday, October 24th at 7:30pm.  More info on the program available here.


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