$6 donation
8:00 - 9:15 PM
-Vintage Film Screenings in Glorious 16mm and 8mm-
Zampano promotes democracy tonight, encouraging voter turnout in this
primary season with a trio of civic-minded films designed to engender Pride
and Participation in our System, circa the 1960¹s. The centerpiece is a
remarkably timely vintage short, Where Were You? (1960) which poses the
question ³If so many citizens didn¹t want Mr. Doakes, then how is it that he
came to be elected?² This reel suggests that, if there was a golden age when
Americans participated responsibly in the Process, it wasn¹t 1960! Framing
the mini-feature will be a paean to the idealized American town in Our City
Government (1965) and a groovy expression of national allegiance in The
Pledge (1971). The line by-line explication of the pledge hits a bit of a
snag at the ³Under God² part, as a boy asks ³What if we believe in a
different God. . . or no God at all?² How would you answer? How did they?
The evening concludes with this film¹s, um, evocative setting of the Pledge
to a period folk style.
All films in patriotic 16mm.
About Zampano¹s Playhouse:
Zampano¹s Playhouse is a film series devoted to obscure, outdated, and
orphaned films projected in vintage 8mm and 16mm formats. The various
cartoons, educational films, home movies, TV shows, industrial films, and
other odd footage come from my personal collection of vintage films. These
sorts of ³ephemeral films² often provide startling and provocative examples
of American attitudes in the 20th century - - ³What were they thinking?² is
often the underlying question in my programs. For each event I draw
together a group of films on a common theme, time period or location,
sometimes adding music to the images for humorous or dramatic effect. I
see my programs as a revival of the small movie house or traveling filmshow
traditions ‹ capturing the thrill and charm of the gently flickering film
image.
This is the second season of Zampano¹s Playhouse, having run twice a month
last year from October 2002 to June 2003. This year I will hold monthly
events at the Zeitgeist Gallery, leaving myself time to present programs in
collaboration with other artists and art festivals.
Production: Albert Steg – asteg@mindspring.com