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No Reading returns in September with materials on early French avant-garde film. Paul Willemen’s articlePhotogénie and Epstein, surveys the texts of Jean Epstein and his contemporaries (Louis Delluc, Riciotto Canudo). Willemen characterizes their efforts as some of the earliest attempts to theorize film. As a result, or in addition, Willemen relates their development of the term, Photogénie, to the concept of cinephilia. The …discussion of medium and theory and—and particularly Willemen’s distinction between how Epstein situates himself with respect to his concepts as opposed to how Bréton and the surrealists do—is of interest; however the bare concept of Photogénie is also resonant for us, in and of itself. Hot on the heels of two different video projects shot/presented in town by French artists Nicolas Boone and Neil Beloufa, which take in the interrelation of civic space and photogenic vision, we will supplement this salon with a sampling of Epstein’s own writings, and film works.
Paul Willemen is a British film critic and cultural theorist, who has written extensively on cinephilia, the concept of third cinema and national form in film journals such as Afterimage and Framework. The text we are looking at was republished in his book Looks and Frictions. Jean Epstein was a Polish emigré, who was a key member of the Parisian film avant-garde of the 1920s and 30s. Working alongside the likes of Germaine Dulac, Man Ray, Fernand Léger and Abel Gance, Epstein wrote extensively on film, and shot more than 30 works from the 1920s thru to the end of the 1940s.
VIVO is located in the homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples in a warehouse space at 2625 Kaslo Street south of East Broadway at the end of E 10th. Transit line 9 stops at Kaslo Street on Broadway. From the bus stop, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight decline. The closest skytrain station is Renfrew Station, which is three blocks south-east of VIVO and has an elevator. From there, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight incline. There is parking available at VIVO, including wheelchair access parking. There is a bike rack at the entrance. The front entrance leads indoors to a set of 7 stairs to the lobby.
A wheelchair ramp is located at the west side of the main entrance. The ramp has two runs: the first run is 20 feet long, and the second run is 26 feet. The ramp is 60 inches wide. The slope is 1:12. The ramp itself is concrete and has handrails on both sides. There is an outward swinging door (34 inch width) at the top of the ramp leading to a vestibule. A second outward swinging door (33 inch width) opens into the exhibition space. Buzzers and intercoms are located at both doors to notify staff during regular office hours or events to unlock the doors. Once unlocked, visitors can use automatic operators to open the doors.
There are two all-gender washrooms. One has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The other is a single room with a urinal and is wheelchair accessible: the door is 33 inches wide and inward swinging, without automation. The toilet has 11 inch clearance on the left side and a handrail.
To reach the bathrooms from the studio, exit through the double doors and proceed straight through the lobby and down the hall . Turn left, and the two bathrooms will be on your right side. The closest one has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The far bathroom is accessible.
Alex has been involved with VIVO for several years, in many capacities, including video restoration, installation, distribution, and various programming endeavours. He also programs experimental radio for Soundscapes on CFRO. He has a degree in film studies and comparative literature from the University of Alberta.