Self Song/Death Song
HomePage
Overview
SELF SONG documents a body besieged by cancer. The amber glow of flesh suggests both victory and submission to death. Blackness surrounds the image and takes it over altogether. Furthermore, the complex grooves and patterns of the flesh struggle to maintain their focus, suggesting the obscuring and dissolving effects of cancer. In DEATH SONG the film begins with blue hues which suggest the permanent aspect of death to contrast a sequence of overexposed yellow. Within these images are microscopic organisms constantly being 'washed out' by whiteness, which seeks to dissolve the image. In this respect, we might view the purity of whiteness as being 'soiled'. By the end of the film, the image has shifted to the blue screen suggesting a comfortable aspect of death. Yet, this vision is too idyllic in Brakhage's mind, and thus he allows the blueness to bleed from the side of the frame, opening the 'blinds' to the cancerous light. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016.
Release Date
1997-10-22
Average
0
Rating:
0.0 startsTagline
Genres
Languages:
Keywords
Similar Movies
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid(en)
In late 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy is the affable, clever and talkative leader of the outlaw Hole in the Wall Gang. His closest companion is the laconic dead-shot Sundance Kid. As the west rapidly becomes civilized, the law finally catches up to Butch, Sundance and their gang. Chased doggedly by a special posse, the two decide to make their way to South America in hopes of evading their pursuers once and for all.
M*A*S*H(en)
The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and hijinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation in 2000.
All About Eve(en)
From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington is determined to take the reins of power away from the great actress Margo Channing. Eve maneuvers her way into Margo's Broadway role, becomes a sensation and even causes turmoil in the lives of Margo's director boyfriend, her playwright and his wife. Only the cynical drama critic sees through Eve, admiring her audacity and perfect pattern of deceit.
Lost Luggage(en)
Neil Bishop has spent his whole life living on the fringes of society. His only interaction with people is through his job as a lost luggage courier. One day, Neil delivers luggage to a woman in suffering, and he discovers someone like him. In this dreamlike psychological thriller, Neil Bishop sets out to make today, unlike any other day.
The Banana Man(en)
"This is my only truly solo video project. The tape is an exploration of character and was done in direct reaction to my performance work at the time, which was characterless. Video seemed a good way, by virtue of it not operating in 'real' time, of dealing with character and psychological motivation. 'The Banana Man' was a minor figure on a children's television show I watched in my youth. I, myself, never saw this performer. Everything I know about him was told to me by my friends. The Banana Man is an attempt at constructing the psychology of the character — problematized by the fact that the character is already a fictional one, and by the fact that none of my observations were direct ones."
Oh, My Nerves(en)
Oh, My Nerves is a 1935 American short comedy film directed by Del Lord. Monty's nerves are shot, so he decides to go on a nice, relaxing trip to the country. Unfortunately, his brother-in-law Tom brings along the rest of the family. Comic chaos ensues. The film was nominated for an Academy Award at the 8th Academy Awards, held in March 1936, for Best Short Subject (Comedy). Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division in 2012.
Wings Over Everest(en)
A documentary about the first flight over Mt Everest. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with UCLA Film & Television Archive in 2014.
Camera Thrills(en)
Academy Award nominated short film. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division in 2012.
Double or Nothing(en)
Double or Nothing is a 1936 American short musical comedy film directed by Joseph Henabery. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel). Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Library of Congress. Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division in 2013.
Dummy Ache(en)
Dummy Ache is a 1936 American short comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins. An assuming husband, suspicious of his wife, follows her for the day. Misunderstandings, mishaps, and hijinks ensue. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel). Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Library of Congress. Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division in 2013.
The Man with the Golden Arm(en)
A junkie must face his true self to kick his drug addiction. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 2005.
Rashomon(ja)
Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, "Rashomon" is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans(en)
A married farmer falls under the spell of a slatternly woman from the city, who tries to convince him to drown his wife.
The Music Room(bn)
An aging, decadent landlord’s passion for music becomes the undoing of his legacy as he sacrifices his wealth in order to compete with the opulent music room of his younger, richer neighbour.
Within(en)
This psychedelic horror short inspired by vintage cinema follows a raped girl's descent into derangement and makes the audience feel as claustrophobic as the character.
Blood of Two(en)
The first collaboration between Matthew Barney & Elizabeth Peyton, Blood of Two is a unique, site-specific work that draws its references from Hydra itself – the surrounding environment, animals, humans, and local traditions are all part of the project in equal measure. Blood of Two centers on the former function of the Slaughterhouse and the customs of Hydra to establish connections between paganism and religion, ancient and modern, the ritualistic and familiar. As much as its conflicted terms strive for balance and fusion, it is Blood of Two’s greater resistance to these impulses, its failure to surrender unconditionally to them that ultimately counts, as a network of overlaps and crisscrosses.
Primary(en)
Primary is a documentary film about the primary elections between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in 1960. Primary is the first documentary to use light equipment in order to follow their subjects in a more intimate filmmaking style. This unconventional way of filming created a new look for documentary films where the camera’s lens was right in the middle of what ever drama was occurring. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 1998.
