Synopsis

THE GOLDEN GATE weaves together fragments of nature films about insects and reptiles, images from space programmes and astronomy with the filmmaker's own footage of human activity from his immediate environment. The experience of years of research into the chemical manipulation of silver nitrate during and after developing are applied to the film's images. As a result, they have a more painterly quality evoking an atmosphere somewhere between dream and reality. During the course of the film the observations have less and less to do with reality. Extremely long exposures emphasise the transience of human activity. If the subsequent darkness is transcended an inner light is created. "The golden gate" is a term which dates back to pre-Christian mythology describing the spiritualisation and renewal of divine fire by passing through the winter solstice. The music for the film, composed by Thomas Köner, is no mere accompaniment, rather it forms a sympathetic layer which intensifies the tensions in the flow of images. Just as the film is not connected by a traditional pattern of structure and narration, the music also transcends the usual pattern of rhythm and melody. In this way an audio-visual half-world is created which the viewer perceives more via his stomach than his brain. (Jürgen Reble)

Preview

Germany 1992, 16 mm (Blow-up from Super 8), 55 minutes, color, sound
Premiere: Berliner Filmfestspiele 1993
Distribution: Light Cone, Paris and Arsenal Experimental, Berlin
16mm optical sound
HD-Video, 1440x1080, stereo
A DVD-PAL is available at: ReVoir, Paris

16mm prints were acquired by:
Archives du film expérimental d'Avignon 1992
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris 1995

Catalog Excerpts

Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin 1993, Text in DE, EN, FR:

Catalog of Centre Pompidou film collection 2012 pages 281-288: