A World Rattled of Habit: Films by Ben Rivers (Experimental)

Conversations at the Edge (Gene Siskel Film Center) – Thursday, 6pm
Over the last few years England’s Ben Rivers has consistently turned out fresh and simple experimental portraits of the rural life in Europe and the British Isles. His 16mm Cinemascope film AH, LIBERTY! (2007), about the farm life and machines of a small, isolated family, was awarded the Tiger Award for Short Film at the 2008 Rotterdam International Film Festival and alone is worth the price of admission. Rivers describes it as “A family’s place in the wilderness, outside of time; free-range animals and children, junk and nature, all within the most sublime landscape. The work aims at an idea of freedom, which is reflected in the hand-processed ’scope format, but is undercut with a sense of apocalyptic foreboding.” As a treat Rivers will show a work in progress, I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING, along with ASTIKA (2006), ORIGIN OF SPECIES (2008), and A WORLD RATTLED OF HABIT (2008). Rivers will be appearing in person and is tentatively showing three additional films of his choosing: the amazing SAME DAY NICE BISCOTTS (Luther Price, 2005), MEASURMENT OF OXFORD (Barry Kimm, 1989), and PRINCE HOTEL (Karl Kels, 1987/2003), if time allows. (1987-2008, approx. 90 min total, 16mm) JH - Cine-File.info