Cinematic Era: 1984 Vintage

The Riot Tapes (1984) offers a sharp and ironic take on Segalove’s college years during the Vietnam War protests. Using the aesthetics of 1980s television, Segalove reenacts the clichés of 1960s campus life—sex, drugs, politics, and love—with satirical humor. Employing reenactments and archival footage to recount the artist’s political involvement in college, her boyfriend’s becoming-anorexic while dieting to evade the draft, and her discovery that art could offer her a space for political commentary, the work not only critiques the sentimentalization of ’60s activism but also interrogates how the Reagan era reshaped public memory, turning a deeply personal lens onto the political and cultural fissures of both decades. - Amant

A futuristic satire about a proud inventor and his discovery, an umbrella for every situation.

An encounter at a train station triggers memories of tragedies and poverty around the train station area.

Participants and onlookers make connections between our attitudes to protest and the influence of the education systems, the media and the state.

Documentary on the Hong Kong Triads.

A man with a mysterious past befriends someone.

A humorous critique of public services from the perspective of both clients and workers, who receive bad treatment when they become clients.

A satirical documentary on a fictional young, struggling, independent filmmaker named Elway Pelachuk

It narrates the development of this guerrilla group, a member of the historic FMLN. At the beginning, Lieutenant Colonel Domingo Monterrosa Barrios speaks about the enemy force he faced. On March 23, 1983, the political and military contingents of the Rafael Arce Zablah Brigade (BRAZ) arrived in the Agua Blanca plains, north of Morazán. From different points in the eastern part of the country, the five battalions arrived, commanded by their respective political and military leaders. The main purpose of this gathering was to demonstrate to the world the existence of that guerrilla army and the military achievements it had achieved up to that point.

In front of the mirrored glass facades of the empty, newly built University of Economics and Business, Scheirl, Pürrer, Bauer, and Jurtschitsch perform and repeat film takes. Dressed in theatrical costumes, they run off, only to suddenly stop as if petrified. A duel, using iron clamps as weapons, ensues between Scheirl and Pürrer, which culminates in a kiss. Drawings by Pürrer recapitulate the events.

Two bed frames pushed together are traced from bottom to top by the camera and pass over to Scheirl in a suit, panning over her. This is followed by repeated vertical pans up high-rise buildings. In between is Pürrer with a fixed gaze and extravagant jewelry. The music is by the anarcho-punk band Crass.

Documentary about the relationships between the collection, processing and marketing of human blood plasma, primarily by American companies.

Against a repetitive trance-inducing loop of four carefully excerpted bars from “Ntsikana’s Bell” (1974, with Johnny Dyani), the enigmatic Sulejman Ferenčak—one of fifty members of the slippery production network OM, which concocted dozens of small-gauge gems in the late 70s and 80s--launches and spins his Super 8 tripod-attached camera in a methodical sequence of 360-degree rotations. Sky and earth are euphorically, deliriously transcended in what is not so much an homage to Michael Snow’s La Région Centrale, but rather its spiritual detonation from within.

A film portrait of 12-year-old violin prodigy Vadik Repin, winner of numerous international music competitions.

The film is dedicated to the mother of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, Anna Timofeevna Gagarina.

Two hotel guests share a room and are told by the bellboy that the hotel is on fire, but the guests and firefighters act like it happens everyday, they ask for water one of the firemen even plays the violin.

An animated short featuring Donald Duck learning about science.

Memories from childhood in the 1950s intertwined with today's reality, where the village is empty, and the fields are overgrown.

I Am with a Monk or I Came with the Monk is an action film full of color and fun, a major directorial work by Khom Akadet of Colosseum Films, an important action film director in the Thai film industry, who had a unique style of filmmaking. He brings together two great heroes, Sombat Methani and Sorapong Chatree, throughout the entire film.

About the world champion and record holder in pole vaulting, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR Serhii Bubka, who set four world records in one season. His family and coach, Honored Coach of the USSR V.O. Petrov tell about the athlete.

We distinguish between continental islands, which are usually parts of the mainland that were detached through tectonic movement, or deposits formed by alluvial soil, and oceanic islands, which are coral-reefs or of volcanic origin.

‘The Force Behind its Movement’ is structured in four parts, corresponding with the cardinal directions – West, South, East and North. These parts/directions have in common that they appear through or because of the wind. The work opens with the text: ‘We only see the fluttering of the flag. The force behind its movement remains invisible.’ Next, the camera, attached to a wind vane, moves around chaotically. Curtains are waving softly, affecting our view of a block of flats. The camera determines our view, literally, by alternatively focusing and moving out of focus. Then the curtain flaps in front of a screen, which shows Marilyn Monroe wearing a number of tulle shawls. This cover aimed at revealing more than it covered. But the tulle curtains prove exactly the opposite, because the viewer in fact reverts to being a voyeur again.

‘Split seconds of magnificence’ had perhaps best be described as an adventure video work. Women experience exciting adventures about which they have been fantasizing since their childhood days. Here the most wonderful thing is that death is no obstacle: in the event of someone dying, the adventures simply continue in another world. A dream world. [This installation was part of the exhibition “The Luminous Image” (1984) and is featured on the DVD series “Installations 1975-2006” (2007).]Netherlands Media Art Institute, Esther Kunkels

In the 1980s, the Canadian Telidon videotex system was not only used for the transmission of text and image information in telecommunications, but also became the medium of choice for many artists. The short film Spirale is one of the “Telidon” works of early Canadian digital cinema. It uses the tool's vector graphics to create dizzying compositions in an op-art style.

Fossils occur only rarely, are often hard to find, and are usually a challenge to understand. But they are important clues that can help us unlock the secret of our planet's past. Study and learn about these mysterious objects with anthropologist Dr. Donald C. Johanson in Fossils: Clues to the Past.

When a boy and girl run away from home, his funds quickly dwindle as she's haunted by the ghost of her dead mother.

"Hold On I'm Coming" Sung by Mr. Mahogany Plywood, Starring Mr. Fashion, Miss Kimberly Lewis, Miss Quiana, and Mr. Royston Scott. Costumes by Miss Mahogany Plywood. Executive producer Mr. Gérard Little. Camera and Editing by Mr. Jacob Burckhardt. Shot on the streets of New York and Tortilla Flats.

A whimsical, philosophical dialogue between a man and a woman (played by Jacques Louis and Danièle Nyst) about "moving the earth and night to a small grey corner" is the starting point for an intricate play of words and images, associations and meanings. This collage-like narrative, which flirts with both the everyday and the magical, unfolds as a mythical reverie on signs and language — spoken, written and visual. The Nysts' fascination with objects and their representations is exquisitely illustrated; their verbal and textual intricacies show a delight with language and its semiotic relation to images. Creating a poetic meta-language that suggests the immensity and abstraction of ideas, the Nysts construct a fantastical video universe where "information is a tragedy," and a unicorn signifies salvation.

In this lofty film created with painting technique, only one of the galloping horses can triumph.

Duke and Steve are caught up in today's world that revolves around peer pressure and the social scene. After a party, a crash occurs and suddenly Duke and Steve are back in time ... to 1st century Palestine!

The fiftieth anniversary of the Orange Bowl includes the King Orange Jamboree Parade, with Jackie Gleason as the Grand Marshall. The Miami Hurricanes defeat the Nebraska Corn Huskers in a close game. The theme of the half-time show is “Celebration”. 16mm

A short film by Thomas Feldmann

Underwater diving in Sweden's only real fjord.

Mecha action in space.

An observational documentary filmed among the Chané of Salta in 1984. The Super 8 film footage and magnetic sound recordings of this ethnographic, non-professional project, remained untouched until 2023, when Levin decided to finally edit this unique material. The resulting film is a respectful and celebratory portrait of a vulnerable yet resilient community.

Ra: an Egyptian name for the sun whose wrath could cause the worst catastrophes... In a desert landscape, flooded with lava, a dilapidated motorway appears where the last wounded and injured humans are miserably crawling.

First part of Carmell's Narratives of Egypt (1984-87).

The film shows the concentrated faces of a brigade of women above the microscopes, the sudden bursts of laughter, the familiar conversations during work breaks. Then Sylvia with the pretty face, who is too fat and also handicapped by a hip condition, tells us how she imagines her husband: He should be honest, strong and loving. And none of the women laugh. The 26-year-old disabled Sylvia, one of the strong personalities in this brigade, is accepted by everyone because she is honest, reliable and collegial. She is sometimes sad, but almost always infectiously cheerful. "How can you live as an eternal sourpuss," she says. "Sylvi, why don't you sing?" one of her colleagues calls out while she's working. Sylvia has a beautiful voice. But she doesn't sing in front of the camera.

An animation by the students of Laboratorio Lanterna Magica.

Frame by frame, we see abstract, hand-painted images tussle with scraps of photographic representation. Which will win? Woloshen crafts a cascade of visuals in the manner of Stan Brakhage: scratches on the celluloid, sprocket holes, fleeting geometric shapes are glimpsed for a split-second before being snatched away. Intermingled are flashes of heavily erased faces and places, occasionally bursting through into visibility. Cinema is the sum of this endless struggle. – Adrian Martin

A young labor organizer leaves Ottawa for New Brunswick to settle a strike of five garage workers.

A fascinating lovestory between a woman and a piece of meat.

Wanderings in landscapes of urban suburbs leading nowhere. 16mm processed by video in a strangely scintillating and electronic twilight.

A man on a beach, aims a gun at his head. The shoot only grazes his forehead, leaving a scar. As he walks along the streets, he notices scars on other people’s heads. Those who aim, those who are aimed at. Who are they, who are they shooting?

The Paris-Dakar Rally is one of the last great motorsport adventures, travelling thousands of miles through the most challenging terrain on Earth. In 1984, the event became a race for survival as the harsh conditions and tough environment decimated the field. This action-packed review follows the 12,000km odyssey as 426 cars, motorcycles and trucks navigate eight countries in 20 drama-filled days. Share the triumph and tragedy as the teams encounter rocks, sand, dust, jungles and rivers in an energy-draining expedition which would see just 148 machines make the finish line in Dakar. Stunning footage captures the spirit of adventure as the cars, bikes and trucks battle with the terrain, while interviews with the stars take you behind the scenes of the spirit-breaking Dakar Rally. Join the battle-scarred machines - and competitors - from the baking heat of the Saharan days to the freezing temperatures of the African mountains.

An experimental film showing various record covers. (AFW program notes)

A documentary about the post-war struggle against "bourgeois nationalists".

A short fictional film depicting an international struggle for ownership of the Loch Ness Monster following it's discovery in the US owned Loch Ness. In an effort to transport the Monster to the United States of America, Nessie is taken by truck towards Edinburgh. While crossing the Forth Road Bridge, the truck veers out of control and crashes into the river. The Monster escapes and takes to the streets of Edinburgh. The Army and Fire Service scramble to respond as Nessie wreaks havoc.

Film produced on behalf of Peugeot by Jean Louis Mourey, chronicling the debut season of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 and its fortunes on the 1984 Tour de Corse, Acropolis, 1000 Lakes, Sanremo and RAC Rallies.

An attempt to answer the question about the ideals of today's youth. A group of high school graduates from Łódź (from High Schools No. 21 and 29) present their images of people who could become role models. The filmmakers used this meeting to write a script for a film about young people. Girls and boys work together to construct the plot of a contemporary picture.

The motif of water has been developed by Plessi using various media (film, photography, painting and video) since the late 1960s.

A homosexual picnic

The documentary captures the struggle of the Yalatecas Women’s Union, in a remote Zapotec indigenous community, in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. It recreates the seizure of the Municipal Palace that led to the end of the cacicazgo (ruling of the caciques), the organization of the Union, and achievements such as the cooperative of artisans, the communal mill and the support for the Castilianization Center and musical instruments for the band that is the heart of community.