Cinerevolt, two films by Harun Farocki: The Inextinguishable Fire (1969) and Eine Sache, die sich versteht (1971)

By: börek - April 17th, 2025  Filed under: Filmavond

Sunday April 20, 2025, Cinerevolt: 2 films by Harun Farocki, The Inextinguishable Fire (1969) and Eine Sache, die sich versteht (1971) * doors open at 20:00 * intro & first film starts at 20:30.
This month Cinerevolt returns to highlight the experimental and propagandistic work of German filmmaker Harun Farocki.

The Inextinguishable Fire (1969)

“When we show you pictures of napalm victims, you’ll shut your eyes. You’ll close your eyes to the pictures. Then you’ll close them to the memory. And then you’ll close your eyes to the facts.”

These words are spoken at the beginning of an agitprop film that can be viewed as a unique and remarkable development. Farocki refrains from making any sort of emotional appeal. His point of departure is the following: “When napalm is burning, it is too late to extinguish it. You have to fight napalm where it is produced: in the factories.”

Resolutely, Farocki names names: the manufacturer is Dow Chemical, based in Midland, Michigan in the United States. Against backdrops suggesting the laboratories and offices of this corporation, the film then proceeds to educate us with an austerity reminiscent of Jean Marie Straub. Farocki’s development unfolds: “(1) A major corporation is like a construction set. It can be used to put together the whole world. (2) Because of the growing division of labor, many people no longer recognize the role they play in producing mass destruction. (3) That which is manufactured in the end is the product of the workers, students, and engineers.”

Eine Sache, die sich versteht (1971)

One thing that goes without saying is an educational film about a section of political economy. The subject matter of instruction is the concepts of use value, exchange value, commodity, labor power; they are intended to initiate the process of understanding the labor theory of value and the law of value, alienation and fetish.

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Free entrance. You want to screen a movie, let us know: joe [at] lists [dot] squat [dot] net

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Can Dialectics Break Bricks Cinema: The Visitor (Giulio Paradisi, 1979) + snacks and videogames LAG benefit

By: börek - April 11th, 2025  Filed under: Filmavond

Sunday April 13, 2025, Can Dialectics Break Bricks Cinema: The Visitor * 1979 * Directed by Giulio Paradisi * 108 minutes * In English * doors open at 20:00 * intro & film start at 20:30.

This is a cult gem that was rediscovered a few years back and caused an uproar across the alternative cinema circuit in America. In the 1970s, before the sci-fi opera Star Wars ironed things out and set the standard, science fiction films were pretty wild, exploding in so many directions. From radical social commentary to hallucinogenic explorations of both outer space and the inner mind. The Visitor is an Italian film, shot in America, and looking back at it from today, one is simply dumbfounded. How the hell could this film ever be made?

This psychedelic sci-fi flick is so bizarre, so off the map, that I won’t even try to describe it. Its reckless journey, a number of different influences collide… from The Omen and The Exorcist to the excesses of Dario Argento, along with Hitchcock’s The Birds. From all accounts, the director Giulio Paradisi was a madman, and everyone who worked on the film, from the actors to the cameraman (Ennio Guarieri) and the scriptwriter (Lou Comici), had no idea what the movie was even about. It was shot in a frenzy of crazed ecstasy. In the end, the film is an audio-visual explosion, an “appealingly weird mish-mash of aliens, evil businessmen, and demonic children” which often treads on the cinematic explorations of Brian De Palma, Raúl Ruiz, and Chilean provocateur Alejandro Jodorowsky. What is really at work here is the stunning camera work and the choreography of the film, giving it an incredible style.

Even if the plot did make sense, most viewers probably forget it, caught up as they are in the movie’s astounding imagery. And the cast of actors is equally unbelievable. How did this director ever manage to assemble the legendary John Huston, Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford, Shelley Winters, Franco Nero, Lance Henriksen, Joanne Nail and Sam Peckinpah to act in this insane cinematic cocktail?

This will be a high-definition screening of this cult sensation.

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Free entrance. You want to screen a movie, let us know: joe [at] lists [dot] squat [dot] net

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Movie Night: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972)

By: börek - March 30th, 2025  Filed under: Filmavond

Sunday March 30, 2025, Movie Night: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972) * 94 minutes * In German with English Subtitles * doors open at 20:00 * intro & first film starts at 20:30.

In search of El Dorado, in the mid-16th century, a gold-crazed contingent of Spanish conquistadors goes deep into the Peruvian rain forest, lead by Pedro de Ursúa (famed Portuguese filmmaker Guerra), second-in-command Lope de Aguirre (Kinski), Brother Gaspar (Negro), a rotund nobleman Fernando de Guzmán (Berling), among others, two females, Inés (Rojo), Ursúa’s wife and Florés (Rivera), Aguirre’s teenage daughter, and many Indian slaves. Most of the time, the team steers their route on rafts, but comes in for successive adversities in the hands of the unfathomable nature mother, one raft trapped by an eddy among the rapids causes a horrific aftermath, just when Ursúa commands to abort the scouting mission and backtrack, Aguirre precipitates a mutiny, keeps a wounded Ursúa as prisoner and puts Guzmán on the throne as the emperor of the new kingdom, because he firmly believes, they will find the gold, then their mission continues.

Story-wise, the film is pretty garden-variety, and decidedly trimmed down to the nexus, Aguirre and co. are real historical personages, the expedition and mutiny are true happenings, but Herzog fictionalizes their journey en route and the grim wind-up. Barely landing their feet on solid soil, the conquistadors are singled out one by one by unseen enemies hidden in the forests through poisoned arrows, often proceeded by dead silence.

However, in Herzog’s method, the suspense and dreadfulness is toned down by his dispassionate temperament, which would be made into great play in his equally robust documentary track record. Merely watchful and often centering on Kinski’s distinctively fierce and emotive visage, the camera expends more time perusing the biome’s vista (the ship snagged on top of a tree is a coup de maître of the then young filmmaker, flagging up its powerful metaphoric impact and ludic whimsy) than engaging in the narrative proceedings as their ill-fated destiny lurking ahead, until the final majestic 360-degree twirling shot sending the megalomaniac stranded with numerous skittish monkeys on the raft, paranoid, bereft and dream-dashed.

In any fair sense, the film is less potent as a character analysis of an outrageous madman than a gorgeous landscape porn, utterly otherworldly for those outsiders, but Kinski still hounds you with his muted aggro, lunacy and repugnance (by dint of Herzog’s tactful maneuver, who deliberately lets Kinski rip in his more frenetic performance, but saves the actual shots for the moments when he is abated or simply worn out), which would go beyond the pale in Fitzcarraldo, but here, the final impression is much more balanced and nuanced.

One cannot finish the review without mentioning the acclaimed score composed by the West German avant-garde band Popol Vuh, it is unearthly but not intrusive, a bespoke incident music which leaves its repercussions long after the film reaches its finish-line.

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Free entrance. You want to screen a movie, let us know: joe [at] lists [dot] squat [dot] net

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Cinerevolt: Here and Elsewhere (Anne-Marie Miéville, Jean-Pierre Gorin, Jean-Luc Godard, 1976)

By: börek - March 23rd, 2025  Filed under: Filmavond

Sunday March 23, 2025, Cinerevolt: Here and Elsewhere (Anne-Marie Miéville, Jean-Pierre Gorin, Jean-Luc Godard, 1976) * 53 minutes * In German with English Subtitles * doors open at 20:00 * intro & first film starts at 20:30.

Commissioned by the Arab League to produce a film on the Palestinian Revolution, Godard and Gorin’s plans were upended by the Black September. Godard, now working with Miéville, transformed the original footage into a scathing self-critique—paralleling the lives of a French and a Palestinian family.

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Free entrance. You want to screen a movie, let us know: joe [at] lists [dot] squat [dot] net

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This Jungo Life (David Fedele, 2024)

By: börek - March 11th, 2025  Filed under: Filmavond

Sunday March 16, 2025, This Jungo Life, a film by David Fedele and the Jungo of Rabat * 2024 * 78 minutes * with English subtitles * door opens at 20:00 * intro & film start at 20:30 * free entrance.

This Jungo Life, a film by David Fedele and the Jungo of Rabat * 2024 * 78 minutes * with English subtitles. Door opens at 20:00 * intro & film start at 20:30 * free entrance

This Jungo Life is a collaboration between filmmaker David Fedele, and a group of young refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan and South Sudan, who are living and sleeping rough on the streets of Morocco. They call themselves “Jungo” – A name traditionally given to seasonal agricultural workers from Sudan, which is now also adopted by refugees, asylum seekers and migrants on the road. Most have arrived in Morocco since 2020, forced to flee violence and instability in Libya, and unable to return home due to ongoing war and conflict. They are drawn to the capital city of Rabat, seeking to claim asylum with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and be granted refugee status. Most also dream of entering Europe, crossing the heavily militarised fences into the Spanish cities of Sebta (Ceuta) or Melilla, European enclaves on the African continent. This Jungo Life seeks to tell their story from the inside …. unfiltered, with authenticity and without sensationalism. A story of resilience in the face of suffering.

Synopsis – This Jungo Life takes us inside the lives of young refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan, living on the streets of Morocco. This Jungo Life takes us deep inside the hidden lives of young refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan and South Sudan, living and sleeping rough on the streets of Morocco; forced to flee violence and instability in Libya, and unable to return home due to ongoing war and conflict. Produced in collaboration with the refugees themselves, and filmed entirely using mobile phones, this film offers unique and intimate access, providing a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the human spirit and innate drive for survival, as they fight for a better life for themselves and the families they left behind.

This Jungo Life is filmmaker David Fedele’s third in a trilogy of films exploring issues related to refugees, asylum seekers and migration between the African and European continents. Like all of David’s previous films, This Jungo Life has been independently produced and self-funded, outside the system of conventional film production and funding.

https://thisjungolife.com/
https://david-fedele.com/ […Lees verder]

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Can Dialectics Break Bricks Cinema: Stars of the Roller State Disco (Alan Clarke, 1984)

By: börek - March 5th, 2025  Filed under: Filmavond

Sunday March 9, 2025, Can Dialectics Break Bricks Cinema: Stars of the Roller State Disco (1984) * Directed by Alan Clarke * 72 minutes * In English * doors open at 20:00 * intro & film start at 20:30.

Back in England in 1984 there was a Prime Minister named Margaret Thatcher, who hurled the country into a dismal neo-liberal world, and attempted to make everybody into an entrepreneur. Those that didn’t fit in and couldn’t stand on their own feet were heavily attacked. Especially young people and minorities were the targets of her clampdown. Within that context this flick was televised, made by the maverick British filmmaker David Clarke. He was a maverick director of several of the most offbeat movies to come out of England during the 70s and 80s. This one is an oddball sci-fi dystopian movie about youth unemployment and how neoliberalism doesn’t only use police with clubs to beat people down – but also mindless entertainment.

Don’t look for any long-winded explanations or science-fiction gadgets in this movie – this is about a mood, and director Clarke simply throws this in the middle of it, and lets us contemplate the situation. In this future dystopia the unemployed youth are sent to a roller rink where they just rollerskate, going around in circles endlessly. There are distractions for them, a hermetic environment of junk food, junk entertainment, and sex. A movie like this shows how even something like sex can be hollowed out and exploited as a means of control. Around the time this film was made, many people were questioning the music industry and exposing the fake rebellion of rock music. I remember a punk band called the Poison Girls that knocked out the lyrics: “State control, and rock ‘n’ roll, are run by clever men…”

This movie is surreal, but not in a spectacular way… it’s a surrealism that has become a deadly routine reality. And for me, real science fiction isn’t about drama and huge special effects, but about the pettiness and dullness of a future that is becoming very real. The same unspectacularity goes with the acting and the video quality of the images – they’re all unpolished and they’re not meant to look like advertisements. Remember, this movie is a dystopian nightmare, but at the same time it would probably fit into our society today. It’s a movie about rigged games, and the cancelling of alternatives.

Even though Alan Clarke has become recognised as a beloved cult filmmaker over the years, this particular flick remains an outlier and is rarely ever seen.

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Free entrance. You want to screen a movie, let us know: joe [at] lists [dot] squat [dot] net

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Parquet (Aleksandr Mindadze, 2020)

By: börek - March 5th, 2025  Filed under: Filmavond

Saturday March 8, 2025, Parquet (Aleksandr Mindadze, 2020) * Russian spoken, English subtitles * 90 minutes * Door opens at 20:00 * movie and presentation from 20:30 * Free entrance

Affairs may come and go, but we always hope to remain young at heart. The creators of the legendary tango à trois reunite for an encore performance 25 years after breaking up. They are honoured to perform at their dance club’s anniversary; and propel themselves with a passion back into working up their number. The threesome are determined to take on the night as if they had never aged; but their resolve is undermined when their families arrive to join the audience. […Lees verder]

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Solidarity Week with Ukraine – Voku Benefit for Solidarity Collectives + screening: “Where Russia Ends” (Oleksiy Radynski, 2024)

By: börek - February 20th, 2025  Filed under: Benefiet, Filmavond, Volkseten/Voku

Solidarity Week with Ukraine, February 24 – March 3, 2025

Monday March 3, 2025,Voku Benefit for Solidarity Collectives & screening of “Where Russia Ends” by Oleksiy Radynski (2024). Volkseten Vegazulu, food served from 7pm, no reservation. Movie from 21:30.

Solidarity Collectives call out: As we enter the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the urgency to act has never been greater. The situation grows increasingly dire, with the toll of the war deepening both on the battlefield and within the fabric of Ukrainian society. So today we need your voices, your solidarity, and your actions to amplify our actions for justice and resistance.

From 24 February we call on all our friends, partners and all anti-authoritarian groups in all parts of the world for a week of action! We encourage you to organise rallies, fundraisers, and public events that draw attention to the Ukrainian resistance struggle against Russian imperialism. Whether it’s a public demonstration, a direct action (the case of squatting in a Russian oligarch’s mansion inspires us), a music concert, a movie screening or an art exhibition, a fundraising campaign or a panel discussion, your efforts are vital to keep Ukrainians’ struggle visible and supported. The topic of the Russian shadow fleet and its environmental impact or international security challenges could be topics of such discussions. You could paint graffiti in the street of your city and send us a picture of it or even make a series of photos. We would be grateful for any kind of participation.

The alarming rise of far-right movements around the world demands that we stand together to counter these forces to fight imperialism and oppression. Supporting Ukrainians fighting Russian imperialism should be one of the priorities of the anti-authoritarian movement, and this goes hand in hand with supporting all refugees and immigrants in the West.

We believe that we should exchange practices and ideas internationally in order to develop our common struggles. And our team is ready to participate in your events, exchange knowledge, discuss difficult issues and assist in any way we can to make your initiatives impactful. Together, we can build a global network of solidarity that echoes beyond borders and languages.

Where Russia Ends by Oleksiy Radynski – Ukraine | 2023 | Short film / Documentary | 25’
In the late 1980s, a team of Ukrainian filmmakers undertook several film expeditions to remote areas of Siberia. Their forgotten film rolls were rediscovered in Kyiv in 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This fascinating archive is the starting point for a cinematic essay that addresses Russian imperialism, the exploitation of raw materials, environmental destruction, and the ongoing oppression and extermination of indigenous peoples in the remote areas of Siberia.

Solidarity Collectives
https://radar.squat.net/en/solidarity-collectives
https://www.solidaritycollectives.org/en/ […Lees verder]

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