[rohrpost] Directors Lounge Screening - Theo Thiesmeier - Film Notes and Moments

[richfilm productions]

Directors Lounge Screening
Theo Thiesmeier
Film Notes and Moments

Thursday, 31 October 2019
21:00
Z-Bar
Bergstraße 2
10115 Berlin-Mitte

Everyday experiences are the subject of filmmaker 
Theo Thiesmeier, also in his works with still 
photography. The Berlin artist studied with Peter 
Kubelka in Frankfurt and Robert Breer at Cooper 
Union, New York. For ten years, he was also part 
of the collective of curators of Filmsamstag in 
Berlin.

In his films, the lens becomes an active 
observer, which also provokes dialogues with the 
camera. Thiesmeier does not hunt for spectacular 
moments, but he is interested in daily scenes 
that otherwise would pass by unrecognized. The 
first analogue, then digital camera records an 
exceptional cinematic haptic by its movement and 
rapid editing, often done by in-camera editing 
and by its visible grain. The films often become 
portraits by their cinematic character, even in 
the case of the subject landscape.

Dartmoor (1985) presents a treeless mire with 
rocks of granite strata. The camera moves in the 
landscape in sometimes abrupt turns walking 
around the rocks. However, the focus never seems 
to be aimless. The wind blowing into the 
microphone enhances the impression of a rugged 
and archaic beauty.

Einige Zeilen (some lines, 2012) on the other 
hand is a montage of digital shots from the 
tripod, which conveys a homely calmness, however 
associated with transience. Here also, the 
locally recorded sound is determinant for the 
film reception. The sound track commences with an 
utterance of the "father", which even coming from 
offstage appears to be diegetic, as part of the 
act. The images, which include pictures of the 
resting or sleeping father, bear testimony of a 
humble but orderly domesticity. Slow movements 
inside the image create a soft calmness of 
limited duration.

Bude - Kommen und Gehen (kiosk, coming and going, 
1995/2016) may be seen as exemplary for the work 
of Thiesmeier, who gives dignity to every day 
occurrences, without over-emphasizing their 
importance. On a presumably warm summer night, 
mostly men and some women meet at a Bude (kiosk). 
People know each other, however superficially. 
Drinking beer or smoking cigarettes, thoughts are 
being exchanged. The content of the conversation 
is less important than the exchange as such. 
Different ways of showing distance or compassion 
are being expressed. Filmmaker Thiesmeier uses 
three cameras and sound for recording. It is 
surprising, how well the team is being accepted 
by the participants and passer-byes, they 
unceremoniously become participants of the 
exchange of small gestures between everybody. It 
shows an openness towards the camera we would 
hardly experience today. For short moments a 
collective is built that shows equality between 
people who otherwise have very little in common. 
Through editing between different points of view, 
the "protagonists" become vivid, 3-dimensional 
and the Bude becomes a stage for these characters.

Images of one or more swifts are being shown in 
"Apus apus" (1985), the latin name for swifts. 
The recordings of Super-8 film during dawn are 
close to the technical limits of the camera. 
Thus, the flying skills of the birds can be 
rather guessed than seen clearly. The movements 
of the wings is too fast for 18/sec and almost 
disappears between the graininess of the gray 
dawn. Still, the enigma of analog film becomes 
beautifully apparent, the gray of the sky between 
the roofs becomes tangible as an almost textural 
experience, and the fascination to follow swifts 
with ones eyes on a silent late evening becomes 
prehensile.

This indicated aspect of the moment, an air of 
tranquility, is something we hardly experience in 
our current world of digitally reproduced 
momenta, captured, shared and received instantly 
on commercial “social media". It makes the films 
of Theo Thiesmeier enjoyable and valuable. The 
intimate cinema of Z-Bar will be ideal to share 
and experience the notes and moments of 
Thiesmeier. The artist will be present for a Q&A 
after the show. Curated by Klaus W. Eisenlohr

Artist Link:
http://www.theothiesmeier.de/

Links:
Directors Lounge: http://www.directorslounge.net
Richfilm: http://www.richfilm.de/currentUpload/
Z-Bar: http://www.z-bar.de


-- 
richfilm productions, Klaus W. Eisenlohr, Osnabrücker Str. 25, D-10589 Berlin

eMail Adresse: 		office at richfilm.de
Homepage !!!		http://www.kw-eisenlohr.de
Film Produktion:		http://www.richfilm.de

Telefon:			int.- 49 - (0)30 - 3409 5343 (BERLIN)