Programmed by Clint Enns. Presented at VideoFag in Toronto, Ontario on November 13, 2013.

Short Sentences (+ other discursive formations) consists of three works that use performance to explore ideas regarding communication and language.

Francesco Gagliardi’s Short Sentences is a film structured around the reading of Gertrude Stein’s 1932 play of the same name. In the play each sentence is read by a different character, making film an ideal medium to realize this project. Gagliardi’s film was originally shot on super 8 and made over the course of twelve years in Italy, France, Spain, the UK, Germany, Poland, and Canada. Despite its beautiful structure, the footage serves an ulterior purpose; it is documentation Gagliardi’s friends and acquaintances over the span of 12 years. The intimacy is felt, adding heart to this rigorous schema. 

As observed by Steve Reinke, all Canadian films and videos contain elements of irony, except for those of Phil Hoffman. Your heart is his heart; Kokoro is for Heart. At the heart of the scene is Andrew James Paterson, maker of Seven Segments. If you are new to Paterson’s work, Seven Segments is the perfect place to begin as it is emblematic of his practice and quotes from several earlier works including: The Walking Philosopher (1999/2001), Damn That Eternal Basement (2004), D.O.A. Remake/Remodel (2005), and Damned and Forgiven (2007). 

Program:

Seven Segments | Andrew James Paterson | 2012 | 29 min. | super 8->DV
Seven Segments is a film/video hybrid adapted from a series of per formative, self-recited monologues previously titled Mono Logical.

Kokoro is for Heart | Philip Hoffman | 1999 | 7 min. | 16mm
Kokoro is for Heart features poet Gerry Shikatani and explores the relationships surrounding language, image and sound, set to the backdrop of a gravel pit.

Short Sentences | Francesco Gagliardi | 2005 | 33 min. | super 8->DV
A film based on Gertrude Stein’s 1932 play Short Sentences.