Guest Curator Soumyaa Kapil Behrens and Oddball Films
present Life On Earth - an evening of strange and wonderful films depicting the
ethereal condition of our home planet. Includes haunting, and
stylized animations -- with Beyond
the Stars: A Space Story (1981)
by Karla Kuskin, Irra and Don Duga. Works from the ground up like
Ethiopia (1986)
show an astounding natural world by award winning director, Robin
Lehman and Two
Grasslands: Texas and Iran (1970)
keenly compares cultural and economic lives of people living off
similar lands but very different cultures. Chasing
the Tornado (1987)
explores these giant forces as scientists race to track them down and
Eclipse demonstrates
the delicate dance between the sun, the moon and planet earth
including footage from the rare 1937 total solar eclipse event in
Japan. Peppered with shorts on other earthly elements like rain and
winter geysers, this show is sure to be full of surprising feasts for
the eyes and a sensory journey of what its like to take refuge on the
third rock from the sun.
Date: Friday, April
6, 2012 at 8:00PM
Venue:
Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission:
$10.00 - Limited Seating RSVP to programming@oddballfilm.com or 415-558-8117
Ethiopia
(color, 1986):
Robin Lehman was nominated for
Oscar Awards three years in a row: 1975,1976, and 1977 for his work
in nature documentaries: Don’t, The
End of the Game and Nightlife.
He won two of the three nominations, respectively, and continued to
make compelling films about the dynamic relationship of man and
nature. This film is an observational safari through Ethiopia
situating the grandeur of nature above the power of man. A stunning
and lyrical film poem, Lehman weaves sharp drama together through
awesome cinematography and graphic displays of nature hard at work.
Chasing the
Tornado (color, 1987): A founding
film in the genre of the sensational storm chasers by Coronet Films,
David Morse, David Atwood and Nancy Linde. A team of scientists arm
themselves with bravery and high technology before heading out to
face the great tornado wherever she may rise up. Research and
adventure collide in this film, both educating and exciting as it
moves through the stages of a funnel cloud storm and what it takes to
catch one.
Eclipse
(b/w, 195-): Part of a collection
from Almanac Films and created by film team Paul F. Moss and Thelma
Schnee, this film includes rare footage from the 1937 full solar
eclipse visible in Japan. It also deftly demonstrates the
relationship between sun, moon and earth in terms of how an eclipse
actually works. Moss and Schnee have a strong command over the
science and the aesthetic of this celestial occurrence. They are
also responsible for such films as: Water
(1953), Bee City (1951), and Hair
dress through the Ages (1950).
Two
Grasslands: Texas and Iran (color, 1970): A
comparative geography, educational film compares the Edwards Plateau
in Texas and the Steppes of Iran. Though across the globe from each
other, they have many geographical commonalities. Their main
difference is cultural and economical which is highlighted in the
film. This piece that has an interesting frame of sameness and
difference that has many parallels with our current political and
economic relationship with Iran to this day.
Beyond the
Stars: A Space Story (color,
1981): Based on a children’s book by Karla Kuskin and animated by
Irra and Don Duga, this short film is haunting and delightful. A boy
wonders about the planets out in space and as we learn about our
solar system, we learn a bit more than we bargained for. It mixes
science and imagination in impressionistic and innovative way.
Acclaimed animators Irra and Don Duga continue to be responsible for
many such visual fables including recent films including: Goodnight
Gorilla (2008), Owen (1995), The Island of
Skog (2000), and
Chicken Little (1998).
Curator
Biography
Soumyaa
Kapil Behrens is a filmmaker and scholar based in San Francisco.
She is currently directing a documentary film on the eviction of one
of the oldest recycling centers from their 30-some year old space in
Golden Gate Park, the crown jewel of San Francisco. She earned an
MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University.