7. Werkleitz Biennale Happy Believers
Festival Program
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Exhibition
Participants
Concept
Service
Picture Gallery
german version
Friday 08.09.2006

11 a.m.
exhibition guided tour

11 a.m. Excursion to Silberhöhe - Beesen
Church visits and talk
with Pfarrer Hans-Dieter Schubert

2 p.m. Weinecksaal / Cinema
DEATH CAN DANCE 1
Introduction by Solvej Helweg Ovesen & Melvin Moti

Da zdravstvuyet Meksika! / Que Viva Mexico!
Sergei Eisenstein & Grigori Alexandrov
MX 1930-32/USSR 1979, 84 min,
Russian with German voice over


4 p.m. Weinecksaal
Panel KUNST.MEDIUM.SPIRITUALITÄT

Experiencing the Unexperienceable
lecture by Katrin Solhdju, Berlin

Media Practices:
The Séance as an Artistic Format and Technique

lecture by Verena Kuni, Frankfurt a.M.
Moderation: Anke Hoffmann


6 p.m.
exhibition guided tour

8 p.m. Weinecksaal / Cinema
DEATH CAN DANCE 2
Introduction by Solvej Helweg Ovesen & Melvin Moti

Vajtojca
Adrian Paci
AL 2002, 14 min

La Ricotta
Pier Paolo Pasolini
IT 1962, 30 min, Italian with German subtitles

Muttnik
Sriwhana Spong
NZ 2005, 3:47 min, English

Les maîtres fous / The Mad Masters
Jean Rouch
FR 1955, 30 min, English


10 p.m. Happy Believers Club
Press Conference with Marcel Duchamp
A séance by and with Julia Kissina, Berlin
(in German)

followed by

Spiritual Soft Hop
DJ F.S. Blumm, Berlin

11 p.m. Weinecksaal / Cinema
YOUR OWN PERSONAL JESUS
Introduction by Jan Schuijren

Get on Board
PlayStation 2
1 min, English

Wir sind Dir treu
Michael Koch
CH 2005, 9 min, English

Double
PlayStation 2
Life 0:59 min, English

40-44-PG
Jeroen Eisinga
NL 1993, 3 min, English

Escape the Circus
PlayStation 2
1:01 min, English

Sandwichman
Lara Rettondini & Oscar Brito
IT 2004, 3:18 min

Different Place, Different Rules
PlayStation 2
0:42 min

The Juggler
Sami Kallinen
FI 2003, 7:40 min, English

sony/wmf/pp
Calin Dan
RO/NL 2003, 3:30 min

My Browser
Crabsalad
NL 2002, 3 min, Dutch with English subtitles

Everybody Loves a Winner
Doug Fishbone
US/GB 2004, 8:30 min, English

Visit Your Third Place
PlayStation 2
0:35 min

The Great Escape
Jeroen Offerman
NL 2000, 10 min


Da zdravstvuyet Meksika! / Que Viva Mexico!

Sergej Michailowitsch Eisenstein: Da zdravstvuyet Meksika! / Que Viva Mexico!
Foto: Edouard Tisse

It is said 'In Mexico they laugh about Death'. Death Can Dance 1 presents as starting point the classic film Que Viva Mexico by Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein filmed in 1931-32 and finally produced by his friend and co-director Grigori Alexandrov in 1979. Interesting in the context of Death Can Dance is the modern depiction of the subordination to the idea of death in Mexican culture. The prologue reflects the historical pyramids and the 'pagan' Mexican funeral rites. The part Fiesta encounters the carnevalesque annual remembrance of the Colonialisation of Mexico by the Spaniards, who literally built Catholic churches on top of the Mexican pyramids in the 16th century. The fascinating and significant epilogue contrasts the traumatic colonial history with the annual celebration of 'The Day of the Dead', November 1th and 2nd a festive carnival of Death, in memory of the ancestors. Here Fiesta rites are held on cemeteries, sculls and coffins made of candy are given as presents to friends, and devils, cruel Spaniards, skeletons, Madonnas and ancient deities dance, reminding us that there is a scull under each hat.

The Soviet filmmaker, film theorist and writer Sergei Eisenstein (1898 - 1948), is e.g. known for his film Oktiabr (October, 1928) about the Russian revolution in 1917. Eisenstein was deeply committed to Marxism and where as early works were influenced by the agenda of Communist Party, later ones were at times subject to censure as e.g. Que Viva Mexico!. Eisenstein is known for his short and intense narratives and Agitprop style film montage.
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