" I D E A L O F R E A L I T Y "
CONNECTIVITY THROUGH CINEMA WITH BRENDAN & JEREMY SMYTH *IN PERSON*
MONDAY AUGUST 11TH 2014 @ THE CENTER FOR PERFORMANCE RESEARCH
361 MANHATTAN AVENUE, BROOKLYN. OFF METROPOLITAN G OR LORIMER L
DOORS 7PM – SHOW at 7:30PM – $6 SUGGESTED DONATION – FILMS, DRINKS & DISCUSSION.
Join us for an intimate screening presentation with Brendan and Jeremy Smyth (Durham, NC), a brotherly filmmaking duo ‘dedicated to framing a creative reality, who strive to unearth a holistic truth beyond the norm of strict objectivity.’ They’ll share their account of recent journeys investigating the economic struggles of food laborers in Mexico and Indonesia. The screening program includesPor Diñero (2011) and Rice for Sale (2013).
Total running time, 62 minutes 16mm-to-Video with post-screening discussion/Q&A with the artists
SYNOPSIS:
Inspired by the stories of their restaurant coworkers, the films in this program focus on struggling families whose financial strain takes seed in Gainesville, Florida. Where other filmmakers use the camera like a human eye, the Smyth Brothers relinquish their own optical functions to the turret, lens and shutter of the Bolex. Exhibiting both skills as anthropologists, explorers and craftsmen, the BlackSmyth films create a beautifully freeing reality within a thoughtful frame. Por Diñero takes the quotes from an ancient Mayan in order to tie together the life of an undocumented Mexican, his indigenous family, and their dying language. Rice For Sale is an experimental tale distorting Bali’s modern world into a historical account depicting the demise of its former cultural motto, “Rice is Life.” Ten wordless vignettes, all in-camera edits, are strung together to compose a two-part mythological venture down the heavenly mountain toward the demonic sea, culminating at the site of the 2002 terrorist bombing.
ABOUT THE SMYTH BROTHERS:
Brendan and Jeremy Smyth are 16mm experimental documentary filmmakers who explore the globe in search of cultural oddities. Their interest in visual anthropology has sent them from Mexico to Indonesia showcasing the economic plight of workers through unique methods of storytelling. The twins’ work has won multiple awards and screened at notable festivals/venues including Anthology Film Archives, Antimatter, Atlanta, Big Muddy, Chicago Underground, Edinburgh Int’l, and Indie Grits. The two are the directors/programmers of the Haverhill Experimental Film Festival in Massachusetts, now in its third year. Currently, the Smyth brothers live in Durham, NC, where they curate a monthly experimental film series known as UNEXPOSED.
MONO NO AWARE’S SCREENING SERIES:
The CONNECTIVITY THROUGH CINEMA series will present the work of artists, film-makers and curators who are traveling or presenting special interactive programs in-person. Our hope is to engage the community by showing work with a focus on post-screening discussion.
This event is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).
