All of the images and sounds are created by drawing, painting, etching or applying shapes directly onto the film.
Filter Films
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DVD + Catalogue For the first time the experimental films of renowned multidisciplinary artist Charles Gagnon are available in digitized form through a DVD collection and accompanying catalogue. “Charles Gagnon: 4 Films” unites Gagnon’s 1960s experimental films and highlights the intersections between film, painting, photography, and music in his artistic œuvre. 4 Films resonates with the countercultural consciousness of the 1960s and is exemplary of avant-garde experimental collage and structuralist filmmaking aesthetics, which are evident throughout these four 16mm works produced between 1966 and 1972. Created within the vibrant social and cultural context of 1960s Québec, this collection begins with Montreal’s hosting of Expo ’67 and Gagnon’s making of The Eighth Day for the Ecumenical Christian Pavilion. The second film, Pierre Mercure, is a tribute to friend and experimental composer Pierre Mercure, who was tragically killed in 1966. The Sound of Space and the unfinished R69, which is available for the very first time, take us into the spaces of artists’ studios, where paintings are conceived and created. R69 is rich with conversations with fellow artists Yves Gaucher, Jean McEwen, Guido Molinari, Claude Tousignant, Jacques Hurtubise, and Henry Saxe. This project draws from Charles Gagnon’s studio archives, including various notes, files, and images, which are reproduced in the catalogue. What follows are various paths for further research through excerpted interviews, short essays, and bibliographies. This collection illuminates Gagnon’s oeuvre by bringing together the four films that he created early in his artistic career and as such brings insight into Québec and Canada’s art scenes. The films and accompanying catalogue will be of vital interest to artists, curators, contemporary art and film studies specialists, art historians, archivists, librarians, and anyone involved in exploring the vibrant crossovers between art and experimental film. “Charles Gagnon: 4 Films” DVD + Catalogue Catalogue edited by Monika Kin Gagnon Run time: 2 hours Languages: English and French ISBN: 978-0-9812034-1-6
Charles Gagnon: 4 Films
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A conversation about cherries, as illustrated by the shape of ducks and the motion of cherry blossom petals, as demonstrated on celluloid soaked in cherry juice.
it’s easier to pick sours than sweets
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A 1940’s damaged silent instructional filmshows good bee-keeping and film practice, while alluding to the nearing extinction of both 16mm film and honey bees.
B-Film Keeper, The
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“Kaden” is a short documentary that follows Kaden Rushford, a 29-year-old female-to-male transgender individual as he considers the complex issues concerning identity, sexuality, and his pursuit of the “right” body. As he prepares to undergo top surgery, he shares his experience as a trans guy, including his internal struggles as well as his navigation of a society that recognizes only two genders. This documentary invites us to consider the notion that gender identities extend beyond strict definitions of male and female. Special Mention, Chéries-Chéris LGBT Festival, 2010 (Paris, France)
Kaden
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The sequel to Harriet Storm’s “Kaden” (2006), “Kaden Later” follows Kaden and his partner, Monika, as they explore life after Kaden’s top surgery. For Kaden, a trans guy in his early thirties, top surgery gave him the body he wanted. Now, as he and his partner plan their wedding, he must figure out how he fits into society, not as female or male but in a space in between.
Kaden Later
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When desires for the future become entangled, friendships and a relationship are torn apart among a group of friends. Andy has it all: a nice house, a great job, and a cute boyfriend, Rafael. Rafael feels lost in Andy’s shadow and has to make some tough decisions to pursue his own dreams. New to the city, Markus meets Andy at work. Andy and Rafael welcome Markus into their tight-knit group of friends. When Andy is out of town the sparks fly between Markus and Rafael, and they test the bounds of Andy and Rafael’s open relationship.
Little Love
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“What’s the Ukrainian Word for Sex? A Sexual Journey Through Eastern Europe”, the first-ever Canadian film about East European queer identity, began with the director’s realization that there’s no language for sex in her culture. A humorous montage begins the video, “What’s the Ukrainian word for sex?” We follow the director to Ukraine and see extreme contrasts between family, queer life, and the postcolonial culture of Ukraine. Interviews shot in Vancouver, Toronto and Kyiv tell the story of sexual and cultural changes in the east, and update us on the current troubled situation of queer rights in Eastern Europe. Dramatic footage portrays an academic obsessed with meanings of shame and pride in the persona of Andy Warhol, as well as flashbacks to the Sapphic goings-on of Ukrainian Girl Scout camp. English and Ukrainian with English subtitles
What’s the Ukrainian Word for Sex? A Sexual Journey Through Eastern Europe
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The “divine” David Hoyle invites us into his humble abode to share his thoughts on domesticity, creativity and mortality. A funny and poignant glimpse into the mind and the habitat of a maverick UK queer performance artist.
At Home With David Hoyle
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In November 2008, Californians narrowly voted to abolish equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Throughout the campaign, Proposition 8 advocates repeatedly claimed that marriage equality harms children. This film is a creative response to that contention. “The Marionettes” uses striking marionettes, ornate miniatures, and stylized chiaroscuro lighting to tell the story of a little girl’s puppet show and a fantasy world where parental disapproval casts an unseemly pall.
Marionettes, The