Oporto apresenta #26

"Bleu Shut"

by Robert Nelson

16mm film, color, sound, 33', 1970

Robert Nelson is a celebrated film-maker that turned down the glories of the avant-garde for the joys of backyard projectionism. His films are ironic constructions, open questions made for the pleasures of gathering. “Bleu Shut” fits right in the so-called tradition of participatory-film. The film is an experiment built around a guessing game, where the act of “seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees”. *

*title of book by Robert Irwin

“On the cognitive mechanisms of boat-naming and its effect on the uncertainties of the real.”

Alexandre Estrela

Friday, November 18, 2011, 10.30 pm

Phæton, 21/10/2011

Saugus Series, Oporto 16/10/2009

Oporto apresenta #16

"Saugus Series" by Pat O'Neill

16 mm, color, sound, 18', 1974
Saw: Chris Casady; Key: Morton Subotnick; Blue Paint: 7-K Color Co; Mix: Don Worthen


There is no parallel to Pat O'Neill's sui generis approah to film. With him the medium fully atteigned the realm of fine arts.
O'Neill is a master of the combinatory work, a collage expert and an elegant frame composer. His films are uncanny essays, breaking down technical boundaries and viewers assumptions. In Saugus Series the artist aligned seven short films, united by a common soundtrack. "Each film is an evolving "still life," made up of meticulously assembled but spatially contradictory elements "

"a capricious cognitive conundrum"
Alexandre Estrela


Friday, October 16, 2009, 11pm

Krypton is Doomed, Oporto 28/02/2009

Oporto apresenta #12

"Krypton is Doomed" by Ken Jacobs
Film-performance recorded on DV-CAM, color, Ntsc, sound, 34 min, 2005

Ken Jacobs is a seminal figure in the tradition of experimental film-making, with 50 years of intense work delving into the mechanisms of the moving image. For Ken Jacobs, the film and video apparatus mimic the human visual system. By manipulating and deconstructing the cinematic illusion and narrative, Ken Jacobs reaches the outer limits and gaps of perception.
"Krypton is doomed" is an apocalyptic drama centered on the story of the unfortunate kryptonites, who could not escape the massive destruction of their planet .

"blasting storm on Planet Retina"
Alexandre Estrela

Saturday Feb 28, 2009, 11pm

Kodachrome Revisited, Oporto 04/10/2008

Oporto apresenta #8

"Natur" by R. Stevie Moore
vhs transfered to dvd, ntsc, color, 2hrs, 1988

Oporto presents a video by the legendary genius of Home Recording, R. Stevie Moore.
From 1988 to 1991, R. Stevie Moore, the prolific musician and "Criminally underexposed" artist , practically abandoned musical recording and began to explore the world of video. Countless hours of creativity were captured on a different kind of tape.
Made on 1988 "Natur" is one of those brilliant videos where RSM ads an ambient soundtrack to a compilation of Nature footage.

"The extreme home safari"
Alexandre Estrela

Sat. June 28th 2008, 10.30 pm

Oporto apresenta #4

"3 Gläser" by Lutz Mommartz
1968, 9',bw, 16mm transfered to DVD

This intriguing and unique short film shows a
speechless encounter of 3 men and their strange
experiences on sound and reverb selfsufficiency. Lutz
Mommartz is doing experimental film since the 60´s
,his brilliant work covers all genres of film, from
abstract to fiction and documentary .

"Mind blowing"
Alexandre Estrela

Friday. December 7, 22.30

ARROW CATCHER, Oporto 29/09/2007

Oporto apresenta #3

Arrow Catcher by Peter Wiehl
1978, 16mm transfered to dvcam, 11'

Peter Wiehl is a New York based artist that during the 70's and beginning of the 80's did really interesting experimental films mostly related to performance.
"Arrow Catcher" was filmed with the help of a high speed military camera. It shows the artist aiming arrows to a complex Plexiglas structure. This device captures and suspends the arrows as in an abstract composition.

"A triumph of authenticity."
Alexandre Estrela

Sat. 29th September 10.30pm

Oporto apresenta #2

"Burn" by Patrick Jolley and Reynold Reynolds
2002 - 16mm transfered to DVD

Patrick Jolley (Irland) and Reynold Reynolds (USA) colaborate since 1998 in the creation of short dense and dramatic films. "Burn" shows a series of domestic environments being consumed by the fire while the actors, also on fire, act as if nothing happened.

"Still burning after all these years."
Alexandre Estrela

Friday 27th July 22h30