Experimental film is about testing the limits of film, and what questioning what film is. It challenges our notions of what film can be. It can have a range of functions, whether it be to express the experiences and viewpoints of the director, or be a form of self expression. I think experimental film can also be important in refreshing our palette, by providing a break from the mainstream norms of Hollywood cinema.

In the vein of Holy Motors from last week, this week’s films at the screening further manipulated the audience’s expectations. Ballet Mecanique is unquestioningly abstract, as demonstrated by its lack of narrative form. The film presents a form of mechanical dance, through its focus on shapes, lines, and movement. By repeating these elements, Leger sets up a pattern which the audience strives to follow, in order to find unity within an otherwise chaotic film.

My personal favourite of this week’s screening is La Jetée, which creates narrative form through still photography and sound. This technique actively engages the audience’s imagination in order to animate the images and the characters and scenes they represent. Moreover, it also highlights the aesthetic qualities of each individual photo.

The Illustrated Auschwitz explores a unique way of telling a real life story. The harrowing tale of a Holocaust survivor is created by remixing images and shots from films. The images shown correlate closely with the woman’s narration, yet they do not show actual images from the Holocaust in order to simulate the horror. Footage from the Wizard of Oz is given an entirely new meaning through this change of context.

These films demonstrate that experimental film has a broad scope, and allows directors to disrupt the illusion of space and time that conventional films create.