Decasia

NEW DOCS

A jaw-dropping tale of filmic history, fetishization, and self-destruction, this feature mines decaying film reels for their intrinsic aesthetic appeal and narrative symbolism—a cobbling together of damaged film stock that creates imagery of haunting and unexpected visual splendor. By forcing the viewer to watch decomposing film stock and the dancingly animated images such decomposition generates when projected, this brilliant documentary forces viewers to rethink their very definitions of film—and to begin watching movies in an entirely new way. Its counterintuitive lesson is that sometimes destruction and decay can be breathtakingly beautiful, if only examined from the right vantage point. The stunning visuals are combined with a wonderfully inspired soundtrack composed by Bang On A Can cofounder Michael Gordon and performed by the 55-piece Basel (Switzerland) Sinfonietta.  JJ

Director

Bill Morrison

Producer

Bill Morrison

Release Year

2002

Festival Year

2003

Country

United States, Switzerland

Run Time

70 minutes