August 17 — Join the hep cats at the Robert Frank Film Marathon
Fifty years ago, the Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank transformed the way we see ourselves with his book Les Americains (The Americans), a photographic portrait of the United States. Then he decided to do the same for film.
When: Sunday, August 17 12:30-5:00 pm
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art DeBoest Lecture Hall
Free and open to the public
From the IMA’s blurb:
In 1958, the Swiss-born American photographer Robert Frank published his book Les Americains (The Americans), a photographic portrait of the United States. One year later, Frank became interested in filmmaking as a medium for expressing his ideas. See Frank’s work in both mediums at the IMA—photographs from Les Americains are on view in On the Road Again with Jack Kerouac and Robert Frank—and a marathon screening of seven of Frank’s films, most 16 mm.
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
The 50th anniversary of Frank’s photos in Les Americains comes at a fortuitous time: in part we see continuities from five decades past, and thus perhaps a 21st century Robert Frank can be challenged to make us see ourselves new. The Beat poets’ charmingly naive belief that they could redefine American poetry and culture should make these films fascinating.
On the schedule:
- Pull My Daisy (1959): When a bishop joins Milo and his wife for dinner, their poet friends misbehave in comic fashion in this film starring Allen Ginsberg and scripted by Beat icon Jack Kerouac. 30 minutes.
- Me and My Brother (1969): A film within a film, this is the story of Julius Orlovsky, who is released from a mental institution into his brother’s care. When Julius disappears, an actor is hired to replace him, prompting questions about truth and reality. 91 minutes.
- Conversations in Vermont (1971): In a search for truths about his own life, Frank documents his relationship with his two children through interviews that explore the intricacies of growing up with bohemian parents. 26 minutes.
- Life Dances On (1980): A personal and poetic portrait of Frank’s family and friends, this film is dedicated to his daughter Andrea and his friend and collaborator Danny Seymour, both deceased. 30 minutes.
- Energy and How to Get It (1981): What began as a documentary film about an engineer experimenting with lightning and fusion, became a spoof on the documentary genre through the insertion of fictional characters. 28 minutes.
- This Song for Jack (1983): And the “beat” goes on in this companion piece to Pull My Daisy, which documents the 1982 On the Road, Jack Kerouac Convention in Boulder, Colorado. 26 minutes.
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
The IMA is hosting talks by photographers who are … well, perhaps not of the revolutionary stature of Robert Frank, but definitely among the best in the business. Local Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Bill Foley talks September 19; and photo-artist Dawoud Bey talks September 25.
