Hello everybody, as this topic about Japanese Experimental Films came up I thought someone here might be of help to find out title and filmmaker of one short experimental I saw during my studies at the arts academy in the 80s. The 16mm film is shot on b/w high contrast or sound negative with a very narrow exposure range. It show static images; mostly urban if I remember right. The apreture slowly opens or closes so the images start with a well exposed sky and detailed cloud structure behind some abstract black shapes. In the process of opening apreture these forms apear as detailed facades of high rise buildings in front of an overexposed, burned out sky. This process runs back and forth with different locations. Does anybody know this film and can help with any information? Many thanks, Thomas. Thomas Bartels www.thomasbartels.eu http://www.thomasbartels.eu
> Adam Hyman <[email protected]> hat am 27.08.2026 08:37 CEST geschrieben: > > > > Hi Esperanza, > > Happy to share, and we do need to get in touch with Image Forum, the TOP > Museum, and others. > > These particular notes were for an American tour arranged by the American > Federation of Arts, so I don’t know if they would have them, but I imagine > that Donald Richie’s papers, wherever they might be, could be a source. I > need to investigate that tomorrow. > > We are also looking for researchers who are working on topics around > experimental and expanded cinema, video art, media art in Japan in the > 1960s-80s. We are already in touch with the folks at CCJ and a few others. > Richie also made a few experimental films in the 1960s according to this, but > I haven’t seen them yet. > > https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10371397.2013.827306 > > > > I can write more to you off list. Open to leads from anyone else as well. > > > > Best regards,’ > Adam > > > > From: Frameworks <[email protected]> on behalf of Esperanza > Collado <[email protected]> > Reply-To: Experimental Film Discussion List <[email protected]> > Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at 8:46 PM > To: Experimental Film Discussion List <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Frameworks] Looking for program notes fro Japanese Experimental > Film tour of early 1980s > > > > Hi Adam, > > > > I just saw your mail in the Frameworks list, and it caught my attention > because this summer I have been dealing with some documents from the 1980s > regarding the work of some specific Japanese experimental filmmakers, but I > just checked them and none of them relates to the American programme you’re > looking for, unfortunately. I have been doing research this summer in Image > Forum, and I think maybe they can help you. Do you have their contact? Also > the TOP Museum in Tokyo may be of help. > > > > I would love to know more about your research if you can share more. > > > > Best wishes, > > > > El jue, 27 ago 2026 a las 4:05, Adam Hyman (<[email protected] > mailto:[email protected]>) escribió: > > > > > Hi all, > > > > For research, we’re looking for a scan or PDF of the program notes/brochure > > that accompanied a tour of Japanese Experimental Film organized by the > > American Federation of Arts, curated by Donald Ritchie, around 1981-82 > > (maybe 1980). Anyone have a copy? > > > > > > > > I have contacted the American Federation of Arts. They directed me to > > their deposit of archival materials at the Smithsonian Archives of American > > Art at > > > > https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/american-federation-arts-records-5411 > > > > but there are no materials from the 1970s or 80s in that deposit. > > > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > Adam > > > > > > > > ----- > > > > Adam Hyman > > > > Executive Director > > > > Los Angeles Filmforum > > > > www.lafilmforum.org http://www.lafilmforum.org > > > > [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > > > 323-377-7238 > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Frameworks mailing list > > [email protected] mailto:[email protected] > > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org > > > > > > > > -- > > Esperanza Collado > > www.esperanzacollado.net https://www.esperanzacollado.net > > -- Frameworks mailing list [email protected] > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org > > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >
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