Event

Shirley Clarke Shorts Program

(Shirley Clarke, USA)
Approx. 66mins, Digital Projection

"Dance in the Sun" (1953, 8mins)
"Bullfight" (1955, 10mins)
"A Moment in Love" (1957, 10mins)
"Skyscraper" (1959, 22mins)
"A Scary Time" (1960, 16mins)

In the landmark performance piece, "Dance in the Sun", Shirley Clarke expertly adapts Daniel Nagrin's work for the cinematic medium. In "Bullfight", she intersperses Anna Sokolow's dance with graphic footage of a matador in action. In "A Moment in Love", she splices shots of a ghostly city with the performance, creating an eerie cinematic conversation. In "Skyscraper", Clarke collaborates with Willard Van Dyke, Irving Jacoby, Wheaton Galentine, D.A. Pennebaker to create a musical comedy about the construction of 666 Fifth Avenue. A haunting work commissioned by UNICEF, "A Scary Time" juxtaposes shots of children on Halloween with images of infant victims of genocide. Never used by UNICEF, the short film marks Clarke's earliest foray into narrative.

Restored digital transfers courtesy of Milestone Films.