La Jetée (+ live score) & Sci-Fi Shorts

(dir. Chris Marker) France, 1962 – 28min

With new music by LARVA.

Following recent live scores for cult psychedelic films The Mask (1960) and Idaho Transfer (1973), Larva will be accompanying Chris Marker's famed black and white science fiction "photo-roman", La Jetée. The short film's themes of memory and circular time will be echoed in a score featuring analog synths, glass instruments and guitar drones.

A tale of time travel told in still images taking place in a post-atomic Paris, La Jetée is one the most influential and radical examples of sci-fi filmmaking as well as a milestone in the history of short film format.

LARVA is a group of artists variously comprising Scott Johannsson (Film Ficciones, Outer Sight), Nick Sales (Bliss Body, Bow Gamelan Orchestra), Sam Owen (Pram, Two Dogs), James Smith (Betty & The Id, Ray Vorg) and Laurence Hunt (Pram, Modified Toy Orchestra).

A an hour long supporting programme of sci-fi shorts will play through twice from 5:30pm – 7:30pm before La Jetée starts at 7:30pm: (dir. Ben-Lavington Martin) UK, 2010 – 10min An astronaut begins to reflect upon his life and his place in the universe after he is left stranded on the surface of the moon. (dir. David O’Reilly) Ireland/Germany, 2008 – 10min A troubled relationship between a Cat & Mouse set in the distant future. (dir. Jonathan Caouette) US, 2010 – 14min An evil signal in the form of a Dutch TV show infects young children. Much to their delight, they believe they can now become other people and monsters. (dir. Joey Shanks) US, 2013 – 6min An animated space adventure created without using any CGI effects following the tiny vessel Spud trying to elude a black hole that is engulfing the universe. (dir. Javier Chillon) Spain, 2008 – 11min The Fifties, a Soviet space shuttle crashes in West Germany. The only passenger, a cosmonaut chimpanzee, spreads a deadly virus all over the country. (dir. Peter Tscherkassky) Austria, 1999 – 10min A woman, terrorized by an invisible and aggressive force, is also exposed to the audience’s gaze, a prisoner in two senses. Outer Space agitates this construction, which is prototypical for gender hierarchies and classic cinema’s viewing regime, and allows the protagonist to turn them upside down. Flickering images, everything crashes, explodes; perforations and the soundtrack are engaged in a violent struggle.

La Jetée and the accompanying Sci-Fi shorts will be presented as part of the programme for the next Digbeth First Friday.