[Frameworks] Jonas Mekas: Tapes, online screening event begins Monday September 14, 7:30pm

[LBurchill]

*Live introduction on Monday September 14, 7:30pm ET Live closing
discussion/Q&A on Monday September 21, 7:30pm ET*

Microscope launches new season of events and 10th anniversary celebration
week with an online screening of a selection of unedited and
never-before-seen videotapes recorded by Jonas Mekas, who left this planet
— upon which he spent his life searching for “fragments of paradise” — in
January 2019 at the age of 96.

The program features nine complete, unedited video tapes ranging from
approximately 40 to 120 minutes selected from Jonas Mekas’ extensive video
archive and presented from start to finish as originally recorded. The
tapes in the program consist of some of Mekas’ earliest cassettes from the
1990s not long after he first began working with video — shooting on analog
Hi8, frequently at Anthology Film Archives, which had recently reopened at
its 2nd street location — as well as more recent mini-DV tapes from 2010s
during which in addition to his prolific artistic work, he released several
books and worked tirelessly to raise funds for Anthology’s future library.

The contents of the tapes have not been previously seen in their entirety.
The footage provides rare insight into aspects of Mekas’ video-making
practice, as well as his activities, thoughts, dreams, and concerns,
especially during the later years of his life. In some cases, the footage
flows like an actual work by Mekas, while at other times the process behind
the work is in the forefront as he prepares title cards, voice overs, and
reshoots scenes.

Scenes that caught our attention in the selection process include: a walk
in Linz, Austria with filmmaker Peter Kubelka who revisits the location of
a well-known scene from his first film; a Brooklyn Nets basketball game at
the Barclays Center; performances at the 1994 SeOUL NYmAX and FLUXFEST and
a related dinner with Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono and Vytautas Landsbergis; a
last visit to the two trees Mekas illegally planted with Fluxus founder
George Maciunas in the 60s outside of 80 Wooster Street, the home of the
Filmmakers’ Cinematheque that Mekas founded; a stop during his trip to
Documenta 14 in Kassel, Germany at the building Mekas lived in as a
displaced person following World War II; a phone conversation during which
he explains how he ended up as the film instructor for the children of
Jackie Kennedy Onassis; film screenings by Peter Hutton, Jackie Raynal,
Julius Ziz, and Stom Sogo, among others.

More personal footage includes Mekas’ recordings of his quiet recovery from
a life-threatening skin melanoma, of historical news stories shot while
watching TV; of snow storms and more snow storms; and of singing, drinking
and other time spent with family, friends and others.

The tapes will be viewable following an introduction to the event on
September 14th through the closing discussion on Monday September 21st. The
online screening will be introduced live by Elle Burchill and Andrea Monti
at 7:30pm ET. The closing discussion will be open to questions by the
audience. Participants include the artist’s son Sebastian Mekas and others
TBA.
TO WATCH:

A “Watch Now” button will become visible on this page on Monday September
14, at 7pm ET. Passes for viewing give full access to the video program and
live chat.

*General admission $8 (Valid through Monday September 21, 10:30pm PT)
Member admission $6 (Valid through Monday September 21, 10:30pm PT)*

More info: www.microscopegallery.com
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